


The First Jedi

by gatekat, KarlWolfemann



Series: Raptors of Evidran [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Anthropomorphic, Furry, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2005-10-15
Updated: 2005-11-06
Packaged: 2018-08-19 13:22:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8210077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gatekat/pseuds/gatekat, https://archiveofourown.org/users/KarlWolfemann/pseuds/KarlWolfemann
Summary: Dead Story.Generations of Night Raptors, the Ka-Karur, have come and gone while B'lyn has been in residence at the Valley Outpost on Evidran 3. Now into old age, she is seeing the beginnings of an independent tradition in the handful of the stronger sensitives they have produced, and hatchlings nearly strong enough for the Jedi.





	1. Mating Rites

**Author's Note:**

> Primary Races: Ka-Karur (Night Raptor), Twi'lek

Master B'lyn breathed deeply of the Force-rich air of her life-long post at the Jedi's Valley Outpost on Evidran 3. After almost a century she was intimately familiar with the ebb and flow of the Force here, and today the eddies were clear.

The Ka-Karur breeding time was at hand.

Ever since their numbers had recovered to a level they were comfortable with some two decades ago, this time every five years had been one of the most interesting. They'd returned to the system of having to jockey for rank, only the highest-ranking members of the flocks having the right to a place in the hatching grounds. One to three of the females in each flock laying a clutch of eggs that would hatch into a hand of soft-feathered babies for each female that the entire flock raised.

Holstering her lightsaber, more for the sake of appearance than anything else, she stood from her meditation and prepared to go out to meet the others. It was expected of her, after a fashion, even though she never participated for several obvious reasons. It was a place of honor that she held in every mating and hatching time that never failed to warm her heart a little.

A four and a half year old Ka-Karur, fully grown but not yet sexually mature, greeted her at the mediation room door with an excited chirp.

"Dances-the-Sun asks for your presence, Master B'lyn." He told her politely. "The mating challenges are ready to begin."

"Lead the way then," the Twi'lek smiled at Brings-Jedi. "It wouldn't do to be late."

The youngster clicked his tongue in amusement and happily turned on his heel and headed down the hall, his youthful long legged stride kept in check out of respect for the elder Jedi he was with and the familiarity of two years of piloting B'lyn to various events she was expected to attend.

"Watches-the-Stars is curious if there is any more news from Speaker-to-the-Senate." He warned her.

"There isn't anything new, but I'll let her know myself," B'lyn chuckled. "I'm used to the routine by now."

"I think she wants to check it out herself." Brings-Jedi snickered and opened the speeder door for her. "She _is_ one of the curious types."

"Believe me, I understand," B'lyn smiled and slipped into the passenger seat with a grace that belied her full century of life. "Besides, she's just worried about your grandfather. He hasn't been back since Speaks-with-Jedi retired."

"I know." He said softly and went silent as he walked to the far side of the speeder and the modified driver's seat. "It is strange to have him gone so long."

"Well, I can't say for sure, but I suspect he'll be paying us a visit in a few months," B'lyn smiled as the speeder lifted off. "The Senate should be on recess for a while soon."

"That would be fun." He clicked with a nod and watched with endless fascination as the world spread out below them during the short trip to the largest hatching ground in the Jedi Gorge flock's territory, the one that had once belonged to the Creeping Wind. "He would like seeing all the hatchlings."

"The thing he asks about most is how they're doing," B'lyn nodded. "How does the turnout look this year? I'm afraid I've been too busy to keep track of which flocks are visiting lately."

"Great Salt Lake left a few days ago," he began with the most recent. "Two of their youngsters are staying and Walks-on-Fire and Creeps-in-Water went with them." He glanced at the wrinkled purple skin of the most respected member of his society. "So you think there will be one this time?" He asked softly.

"There may be," B'lyn said, considering the last few hatches. "There haven't been any sensitives among your people strong enough to be considered for training yet, but the last generation had some that were close. Ultimately, it's up to the will of the Force, and to whether or not any sensitives get the chance to have hatchlings of their own this time."

"Sky-Dancer probably will." He commented with a grin at her. "She is old enough, and she is determined."

"That she is," B'lyn chuckled, thinking about the strong Ka-Karur. Even after all these decades among them, she still slipped and called them Night Raptors. It had been three years before Kills-the-Sun had finally brought it up, with great politeness, that they really preferred to be called Ka-Karur, and not the translation.

B'lyn's mind drifted back to Sky-Dancer. The fourteen-year-old was probably the strongest sensitive they'd had so far, enough so that after a few years to see her development, B'lyn had half-wondered if she might not have underestimated her. Assuming that Sky-Dancer and other sensitives near her strength maintained their independence from the Jedi as they quite happily had so far, the Ka-Karur would likely have a tradition of their own in a few generations. Much knowledge had flowed from the Jedi about the Force and things one may be able to do with it, and it had led to quite a revelation in how the Ka-Karur viewed the division of their gifted members, but had little practical effect on the society.

It was interesting too, when she'd finally realized that the easiest way to find the weak sensitives was to find out who was known for their memory, and with that, their status as those with special skills. It was yet another indication that they would likely develop a tradition of their own in time.

She might even live long enough to see it begin in earnest, rather than just a few questions that would stew in their minds until they bore fruit.

It would be interesting to watch happen, if she had the chance. Still, she wanted to be sure to keep at arm's length of anything like that. It was hard enough as it was, to remain somewhat detached and objective. Her main saving grace was their culture, one that embraced her presence while still doing things their own way, in their own time, and making it work.

It was largely testament to that basic culture that they could be exposed to so many things and not lose themselves. In the half-century after her first arrival they had faced enough to crush most races, and yet here, less than a century later, despite the constant Jedi presence that they experienced and accepted, their lives had returned to what they were before.

Even their numbers were back to what they had been and were growing in the previous pattern that the world could sustain for a hundred millennia or more.

She smiled at the riot of color visible as they settled for a landing. It was very strange, those first few times she'd witnessed their mating time. For a ten-day the glistening black of their feathers was transformed into a rainbow of gemstone colors, both genders intent on outdoing their competitors in appearance even before the challenges began. It was the only time she'd ever seen them prance and try to attract the attention of the opposite gender. It was the only time that they did not try to blend in with the jungle around them.

The displays were fascinating, as was the variety they used in how they dyed and colored their obsidian feathers to bring out natural shapes and even carvings they made in the hard forms. She'd been shocked the first time, wondering what had happened and how. The Ka-Karur had learned how to find all manner of dyes on their world that would work on the crystalline material their feathers were made of, and if you hung around long enough, you could frequently tell where a given Raptor had spent the majority of their formative years from simply by the colors and patterns that were most prominent in their mating display.

"Welcome, Jedi Master B'lyn." Dances-the-Sun approached her and bowed deeply, resplendent in a stunningly simple gold display that had earned her the name and her first turn at the hatching grounds three decades before. "I am honored a Kadin-Ra will witness our next generation becoming."

["I wouldn't dream of missing it, Dances-the-Sun,"] B'lyn smiled, bowing politely. ["You're looking well."]

["Thank you."] The sleek, glittering gold female crooned with a distinct bit of pride. Even now, the perfect golden glitter was something only she had managed to create. ["Come, relax and watch who wins the right to breed this cycle."]

"I'll do that," B'lyn nodded and followed Brings-Jedi to the collection of four-year-olds, young adults, researchers, Jedi and female Ka-Karur who weren't interested in breeding this cycle, or had simply decided to spare themselves the humiliation of competing against their betters this time.

"You look very well, B'lyn." A somewhat younger woman of Trandoshan descent smiled before her attention was back on the subject of her visit; the Ka-Karur mating rituals and sexual culture.

"Thank you, Senaali," B'lyn nodded to the green-scaled saurian researcher before joining her in her focus on the highly organized and strongly ritualized trials that Dances-the-Sun was about to begin. It never ceased to amaze her how a society that was so relaxed about most things suddenly became very tightly controlled when combat within the flock became eminent.

["Three will lay eggs this cycle."] The flock leader set the odds as all attention focused on her glittering golden form. ["Jedi Master B'lyn," she turned to focus on their most honored guest. ["As Kadin-Ra, you have first rights to a place."]

B'lyn stood and bowed to the leader with a fluid grace. ["I am honored, flock of the Jedi Gorge. I give that place to those younger than I this cycle."] She spoke the words she had at every such gathering since she had turned fifty and the first wrinkles had appeared on her face.

"What was that about?" Senaali whispered when B'lyn sat back down.

"A Kadin-Ra is a White One, an ancient Night Raptor whose feathers have turned white. They are incredibly rare and have a right to breed at any hatching ground they are at without challenge. For me, it's just a technicality as an honorary Ka-Karur. She offers, I say no thank you and they move on. If a real Kadin-Ra was here, they could accept or refuse depending on their wishes."

"For both genders?" The long-faced saurian asked curiously. "I thought the females chose the males they'd breed with."

"They do, but not many would not want a Kadin-Ra as a sire." The purple Twi'lek smiled fondly as a round of strutting and pronouncement of notable ancestors and personal accomplishments among the females began. "When they compete, a white pelt is the only thing forbidden to mimic; the color is an honor that is difficult to overemphasize and allowed only by earning it in years survived."

Senaali considered that, her forked tongue snaking out to taste the air instinctively as she worked that bit of information into the rest she had gathered in the past year.

"Why is it they only do this once every five years, Master?" A young Jedi, a steel gray Twi'lek approaching the age where she'd find a Master of her own, asked.

"The same reason only a few breed each time. It is a population control method." B'lyn answered smoothly, used to this little one's questions. "As they proved in the years after the invasion, they are capable of tripling or more their population each time they breed. Once a viable population is reached, that is not conducive for survival to continue to reproduce as quickly as possible."

"Oh," the Twi'lek said, understanding far better than her response indicated. She watched along with the others, no other questions coming just yet.

B'lyn paid close attention to the intense, twist and jab centered aerial display that Sky-Dancer was putting on as her first skill-based trial to break into the select few who would breed this time. There was no doubt that the young Ka-Karur was drawing on the Force with a centered, goal-focused concentration that was impressive for her age, no matter her training.

It was almost unthinkable that anybody else would outperform her, at least not enough to keep her out of the breeding grounds. She wasn't quite good enough to make Jedi, but it would be fascinating to see if she took on an apprentice of her own from among the less sensitive Ka-Karur. It would fit in with their existing traditions in healing, deep-sea fishing, leadership, history-keepers ... every skill they considered worth passing on.

"Incredible." A small feline of indeterminate breeding murmured, his large grey eyes wide at the display that would have been impressive anywhere.

"The Force, even in the hands of those not trained in its use, is very powerful," B'lyn observed with a nod, watching as her younger friend showed just how she had earned her name, bounding with unnatural grace from one branch to another in lazy, slow, beautiful arcs of color and motion interspersed with blindingly fast moves than could be mistaken for teleportation if you weren't watching her carefully.

"No one trained her at all?" The kitten looked a bit surprised. "Isn't that dangerous, Master B'lyn?"

"We watched, to make sure she didn't stray to the Dark Side, but it is not our place to keep a people from finding their own way to the Force, kitten," she explained. "Though we will make sure that, should a hatchling have the strength to become Jedi, that he or she has the chance to do so."

"Did she ever start that way?" He asked in an awed whisper that someone could learn to do the acrobatics on display without any help.

"No," she shook his head lightly, her wrinkled lekku adding a silent negative. "The Ka-Karur are not inclined to it, and their sensitives are no exception."

Everything froze at the heavy thump as Sky-Dancer dropped her use of the Force to land with the full impact of her weight and momentum and she stood to her full height to demand a review from her leader.

["Most impressive, Sky-Dancer."] Dances-the-Sun accepted the display with a neutral posture that didn't hide just how impressed she really was and just how uneasy most of the females now were of this competitor that wouldn't normally be given a second glance for another decade. ["You are accepted into the competition."]

"Most impressive, for one of her youth," B'lyn observed quietly as the next competitor began with a simple rendition of her legacy as a healer that within the competition was just as impressive as anything a sensitive could do. She wondered if Sky-Dancer's skills would be as useful in the next rounds, when it was more than just a display, though it was likely to be. They did not often have time to develop non-useful skills, and display was not really considered useful despite its presence here.

"How can that win against her?" The kitten piped up again.

"They are displaying their skills, why they should be allowed a chance to breed," B'lyn explained. "A Healer's skills are just as valued as Sky-Dancer's, especially after they lost most of them."

"But a sensitive might pass on the talent. A healer is just training, Master." The kitten countered politely, exercising his new knowledge of biology in debate for the first time.

"Healers are more than just training." A fourteen-year-old Ka-Karur answered from the kittens other side. "It requires a talent for the training to be of any use, the same as Jedi training."

"He's right, you know," B'lyn pointed out with a smile. "Could you be one of their Healers, even with the training? I don't think so, little one," she said, reaching down to ruffle his short, blond and brown striped hair lightly. "Are you not involved in the competition this gathering, Limb-Leaper?"

"With this competition?" He clicked in a bit of humor. "I'll save the humiliation for another year, or head to another flock. There are too many gifted ones around here for a simple hunter to have a chance."

"Well, good luck to you, however you decide to handle it," B'lyn smiled. "And remember, you might be a simple hunter, but without you the flocks would have quite a bit of trouble."

"They don't let us forget it," he nodded seriously. "But when it comes to breeding, we still the lowest ranking adults around."

"You'll find a place some time," B'lyn reassured him as she watched the third contestant, another mild sensitive trained as a Rememberer, wrap up her presentation. "I'm sure of it."

"Oh, yes." He nodded, and then snapped his attention to a very senior hunter that was willing to try her luck when her younger compatriots weren't. "I never thought she'd actually do it."

"Let's see how she does then," B'lyn murmured. "Dark-Crystal-Runner has always been quite determined. That may be enough to tip the scales her way."

"Sky-Dancer will no doubt gain a place." Kystal-Catcher, a female B'lyn remembered breeding last cycle added. "She's far too strong in the Force not too given she's already stated her choice in Shadow-Walker. The first Jedi is too great a prize not to allow such a pair to breed now that she is old enough to."

"It is not guaranteed, even if they do," B'lyn cautioned the huntress. "Though I would be surprised if their children were not at least as strong as they are, it's true." Normally, she would have questioned the suggestion that the Ka-Karur were making decision based on whether or not a Jedi hatchling might result, but Sky-Dancer stood enough of a chance on her own that she wasn't worried about it.

"Nothing is guaranteed," Kystal-Catcher nodded seriously. "But even you have agreed that such gifts often follow bloodlines, just as our other talents do. It is why such things are considered here, and not just intelligence and hunting skill."

"Very true," B'lyn nodded. "There are those who might not take it well if they didn't have a hatchling that was strong enough, but it can take a long time. I won't be surprised if they do have one though."

"If not, they are still very good providers and will lay fine additions to the flock." She clicked and fell silent as Dark-Crystal-Runner wrapped up her presentation with a pointed reminder that hunters were who kept the flock going.

["All have been heard and seen."] Dances-the-Sun called out, looking at each female who had chosen not to compete. ["Do any others wish to joint the competition?"]

Long moments passed as the leader made very sure that no one had or would change their minds.

["It is set."] She called out. ["Five females will compete; Sky-Dancer, Dark-Crystal-Runner, Young-Remembers-the-Past, Peace-Maker and Dances-the-Sun. Have your chosen your mates?"] She turned to the females competing for breeding rights.

["I have. Shadow-Walker."] Sky-Dancer nodded towards the small, long-legged, long-feathered male her own age that was decked out as brilliantly as any, though with an emphasis on the richer, darker gemstone shades that matched his natural Force-talent.

B'lyn looked at Shadow-Walker, nodding slightly in approval. Even if he hadn't been a sensitive, he'd have been a good match. Being one, he was an incredibly good match. If something happened to keep her from breeding this cycle, it would be a shock, but likely only make her more determined the next time around. A time when her age would be closer to the usual time someone got to breed.

She had to admit, she admired these people for the fairness that this was done with. Those that bred one cycle rarely even tried to the next, not even the leaders. Mates were not always who they chose to breed with, if there was a good reason to choose another. If one lived long enough, even the lowest-ranking hunter would be given the chance to contribute to the genetic pool, and it had been this way even before the invasion and numbers made it critical to do so.

["I have chosen to be impressed by those competing."] Dark-Crystal-Runner answered next, a statement that was repeated by the other three.

["So it will be."] Dances-the-Sun accepted the choices. ["Who among the males seeks to impress us?"]

A number of voices spoke up with varying degrees of certainty. One of them in particular managed to get the others to quiet down enough he could be heard clearly.

["Shapes-Wood-and-Stone wishes to join the competition,"] a male in his early teens said. He was painted brightly, wearing several crystal ornaments he'd crafted recently in addition to incredibly intricate work on his own body.

["Accepted."] Dances-the-Sun nodded to him and the youth stepped forward.

["Shadow-Walker will compete."] He called out in the momentary silence that followed, his bearing much more certain than most his age would dare.

["Accepted."] The leader nodded to him.

["Speaks-with-Animals."] A much older male stepped forward, his name reflected in the stylized designs embossed on his feathers, and was accepted into the circle of competitors.

["Runs-with-the-Wind,"] another said, his feathers painted a dozen shades of bright blue. He was among the youngest males to step in so far; B'lyn didn't really think he'd last that long, though he had to have spirit to even try.

["March-of-Dreams."] A deep male voice rumbled as an elder stepped forward, his feathers tipped in white from age and his Force-aura strong, demanded acknowledgement and received it.

["Mist-Walker-of-the-Forest."] Another, somewhat younger but still seasoned male claimed his place.

["Tames-Shuropia,"] another male announced, one of the few who had actually started to try and domesticate the local animals, to cut down on how much hunting they really needed to do. After the last ten years or so of trying, he was having remarkably good luck at doing just that.

["Dreams-of-the-Future."] A twenty-four year old male spoke confidently, his talent for precognition making many wonder if he knew something they didn't.

["Any others?"] Dances-the-Sun looked around when no one took the opportunity to step forward. ["Good. Eight males will compete for three females and the opportunity to sire the next generation. Now we will determine who the three are."]

The males gathered, stepping back slightly as they grouped together to watch the next stage of the competition, the five females who would be involved all standing confidently as they waited for the signal to start.

["Sky-Dancer, against Dances-the-Sun."] The leader called out and stepped forward into the circle for the combat portion of the challenges.

The other Ka-Karur stepped into the circle as well, posturing and posing as they circled each other. This was as much a dance as a fight, choreography as much as combat. Actually causing a serious injury to the other would be as bad as losing the fight; the goal was to prove your superiority, not that you were simply a better killer. It was a test of endurance, agility, self-awareness and perception -- picking out what the other was going to do and countering it.

When your entire body was a potentially lethal weapon, it took far more skill to _not_ hurt your opponent badly than it did to kill them.

She heard the kitten just behind her gasp at the fast, furious exchange of blows and blocks. It was no doubt the first time he'd seen two Ka-Karur fight. For herself, B'lyn couldn't help but think of watching two skilled Jedi duel.

She could practically tap out the rhythm of traded blows by now, familiar with the Ka-Karur fighting style after decades of living with and near them. She couldn't help but smile slightly as she picked up a slight difference from Sky-Dancer, a shift in the normal movements and blows that was uniquely hers for now. Something her opponent wasn't _quite_ as familiar with, or with how to counter, as the usual methods that were used.

Everything went still between one breath and the next, shock rippling among the gathered Ka-Karur, when Dances-the-Sun grunted and lay still in surrender when she landed from a grab and flip she hadn't even seen coming. Even she seemed surprised to find herself on the ground.

["You have this round, Sky-Dancer."] Dances-the-Sun spoke the traditional end of the contest.

There was a ripple of celebration through parts of the gathering, Ka-Karur who were glad for Sky-Dancer's victory, and others who had enjoyed the spectacular, if somewhat brief, contest. Dances-the-Sun quickly righted herself, bowing her head respectfully to the victor before moving off with a slight limp to officiate the rest of the contests.

The rest of the matches were fought in a round-robin style; Dances-the-Sun had withdrawn, but the others all faced off against each other with a level of organization that would have surprised anybody who thought of the Ka-Karur as uncivilized. By the time they were done, Sky-Dancer had clearly earned her place, along with Peace-Maker and the real surprise, Dark-Crystal-Runner. Each match had been spectacular, and none of the females had made a poor showing, even in matches they might have lost.

The males began next; their contests were little different, but did not lead to any true disqualifications. Their intent was to impress those doing the choosing, and the winners stood a better chance, but in the end, it wasn't about their ranking. The three females with a place on the hatching ground chose based on their own criteria.

There was some combat, but it was more like a combination of the entire contest the females had gone through. Speeches of their qualifications, demonstrations of their skills and abilities, some brief sparring to display their prowess. In the end, while all eight of the males were still in the running, it was fairly clear that three had done better than the others; Dreams-of-the-Future, Speaks-with-Animals, and Runs-with-the-Wind. Shadow-Walker had done well, but not as well as they had.

["I choose Shadow-Walker."] Sky-Dancer called out. With the focus of her breeding known to be for Force-sensitivity, no one could blame her. He may not have done as well overall, but he was unquestionably the strongest male sensitive there.

Dark-Crystal-Runner, second in the ranking among the females, took her time in choosing, looking the options up and down. Unlike the other two, this was not her first breeding, and her age had seen a great many things in four different flocks.

["I choose Dreams-of-the-Future and Mist-Walker-of-the-Forest."] She eventually called out to the surprise of several bystanders.

["I choose Speaks-with-Animals,"] Peace-Maker said after considering those who hadn't been chosen yet.

["Very well."] Dances-the-Sun nodded in acceptance of the choices, watching as the chosen males went to their females and began the long, careful process of grooming each other into blackness and become familiar with each other before the tricky, and occasionally painful, process of siring the next generation.


	2. Hatching Auras

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At five months old, the baby Ka-Karur are almost old enough to leave the hatching grounds and it is time for B'lyn to make her determination on whether this generation of the Jedi Gorge flock has any strong enough to train as Jedi.

Five months after the mating rituals, B'lyn had received word that the eggs were beginning to hatch. As she entered the hatching grounds, she started to feel that something would be different from the other hatchings she had witnessed. Something similar to the feeling she'd had when Sky-Dancer was hatching.

The entire sand-floored cavern, naturally heated by geothermal energy, reverberated with the Force, the signature of either an unbelievably powerful individual, or several of near-Jedi levels.

Maybe, this time, there would be a Jedi among the hatchlings.

She felt the Force whisper something, but couldn't yet make it out. It could come in time. It would be six more months before she could even consider sending a hatchling to another Temple to be raised and trained. It would be that long before these hatchlings were strong enough, and their feathers hard enough, to leave this cavern and go out into the world, though it would be a year past that when they were big enough to hunt more than large insects and move on to real prey. By then they would be a third the size of an adult and their feathers just as deadly.

She approached the gathered Ka-Karur, bowing her head politely to them.

"I was told that it is almost time," she explained, glancing at the half-buried eggs, their shells shifting a bit as their occupants started to move. "And I can see that it is."

"Yes, Jedi B'lyn." Sky-Dancer clicked, her excitement palatable as she watched the five eggs she had laid rock and crack at the hatchling's efforts.

"Yours and Shadow-Walkers, I assume," B'lyn said, noting that these eggs seemed to be the strongest focus of all the Force swells in the room. Births always seemed to be connected to surges like this; it wasn't wise to make judgments too early, but she was sure that this time, she was right.

Fortunately, she would not have to make a judgment for several months yet. The hatchlings would not be ready to leave the sandy ground of this cavern for almost half a year; plenty of time to be very sure of their innate ability level.

"Yes." Sky-Dancer nodded. "They seem very strong."

B'lyn drew a sharp breath when the Force surged and coalesced inside one egg in particular before rushing outward to shatter the containment, leaving a gooey, featherless black form sprawled on it's back in the sand with an indignant squawk.

She stayed back as the young hatchling started to move again, squawking in protest at the awkward position it had 'landed' in until Sky-Dancer stepped up and gently nuzzled him upright. Despite not having legs strong or solid enough to support him, the feisty hatchling squawked again, this time more of a demand, and caused his mother to chuckle.

["Not just yet, Exploding-Shell."] She told him firmly.

"He's feisty, isn't he?" B'lyn asked with a smile as the second shell cracked a little more conventionally, its occupant poking his head out with a squawk of his own, weak arms expanding the hole slowly.

["Very, but he can not eat just yet."] Sky-Dancer nuzzled him as she kept an eye on the rest of the emerging clutch. "Do you think he is strong enough?"

"He may well be," B'lyn nodded. "I won't know for sure for a while though; that first surge was probably a fluke, at this point."

The little hatchling lifted his tiny triangular head to glare at her and B'lyn suddenly felt the Force coalesce again.

She reacted instinctively as she felt that surge push at her, diffusing the relatively weak push the hatchling gave her, but moving back out past his mother.

"I think we're going to have to work on him accepting that I'm not an enemy," she mused.

["Exploding-Egg,"] Sky-Dancer click to get her hatchling's attention. ["Jedi B'lyn is flock."]

The little one looked at his mother, then B'lyn, and squawked unhappily before focusing back to getting his mother to feed him.

"I keep forgetting how quickly they pick up your language," B'lyn smiled slightly as the rest of the shells finally cracked, the hatchlings inside taking a bit longer to break through for various reasons, poking their heads out through the top as the second and third hatchlings struggled free of their shells completely along with three others from Dark-Crystal-Runner's and Peace-Maker's clutches.

"Quick, yes." Sky-Dancer nodded and picked up the bits of shell into a neat pile as she kept an eye her hatchlings as they made their way into the world. "They learn very much while still in the egg. It is why we talk to them so much before they hatch."

"It seems to work," B'lyn nodded. "I didn't mean any offense by what I said earlier, by the way," she added, fairly sure that that was what had led to Exploding-Shell's reaction. He certainly wouldn't understand Basic yet.

"I know," Sky-Dancer clicked and nuzzled the second hatchling. "It is a most unusual way to get out of an egg."

"Effective though," B'lyn admitted, chuckling as the others crawled out and were gradually nuzzled to settle upright with their legs, too weak to support them yet, tucked underneath them.

"Quite." Sky-Dancer nodded before picking up the last of her five hatchlings and set her down close to her siblings. With all five licked clean and fuzzy, Sky-Dancer rippled the powerful muscles of her belly and throat, bringing up an already digested handful of meat to feed her newborns a tiny bit at a time.

B'lyn turned her head away politely as the hatchlings started to eat. She never did quite get used to this part of hatchings. She understood the reasons for it; that the hatchlings needed the help digesting their food at first and the Ka-Karur did not produce milk or any other food for their young. That logical knowledge only helped her so much when faced with it.

* * *

* * *

A month later, B'lyn returned to the caves where the hatchlings still lived. Several other Masters had gone to visit the hatching grounds of other flocks to determine if any hatchlings were strong enough to take for training and found none so far. The Jedi Gorge flock was her responsibility... and privilege, if you asked her.

Over a dozen hatchlings were gathered together, playing, moving around somewhat better than they had their first day, watched over carefully by several adult Ka-Karur. B'lyn could feel that today, she was probably going to be pleasantly surprised.

"Welcome, Jedi B'lyn." Guards-Young called in greeting to her.

"Welcome," B'lyn called back. "I'm here to check on the hatchlings, see if any of them are developing into sensitives after their first few weeks outside of the shell."

"Exploding-Shell keeps trying." Guards-Young informed her with an exasperated sound. "Manages it too, sometimes."

"I think he's trying to convince everybody that I was wrong when I said blasting his way out of his egg wasn't something they could expect routinely," the aged Twi'lek chuckled slightly, shaking her head. "Why don't we start with him then, if we can coax him away from his playmates?"

"I would not be surprised. Those with a gift tend to be irate about it being discounted." She shook her head with a low chuckled and clicked sharply to get the hatchlings attention. ["Exploding-Egg. Jedi B'lyn wishes to speak to you."]

The little male, still too shaky on his weak legs to really move far, still managed a couple paces towards them and looked at B'lyn determinedly.

B'lyn knelt down in front of him, looking at him in the Force. It was clear that he was a sensitive, though she hadn't really doubted that. A month old and still occasionally managing weak bursts of telekinesis ... even at the advanced growth rate of a young Ka-Karur, there wasn't really any question of whether or not he had the strength, and the attitude wasn't her duty to judge.

He had determination to spare; if he went to the Order, he would likely be a headache for the Knights and Masters in charge of the crèches, to say nothing of his eventual Master. But even with it, he was young enough that his attitude and fire could be tempered and focused, especially given the racial tendency towards being highly cooperative and social once they knew their place in the flock.

It would be better to put that determination to use, redirect it constructively. He wouldn't have long before he was old enough to be taken on, and the eagerness to excel that B'lyn could sense in him would serve him well at mastering the various exercises and tests he would have to before becoming a Padawan. A path that would be much shorter for him than most. He would have less than five years to learn what most Initiates would have ten years or more for.

"He is strong enough," B'lyn said confidently. "I will need to speak with his parents before it is official, but there is time for that. The Order will take him, once he is old enough, if they are willing."

"I would be very surprised if she would not be." Guards-Young chuckled. "Will he have a companion?"

"A Ka-Karur... I don't know yet," B'lyn admitted easily. "But he will not be alone there, I am sure of that. Why don't we see if there is anybody else who will be joining him?"

"Yes," she dipped her head sharply and scooped up Exploding-Shell to set him down near his clutch-mates. "Several have gifts showing already. Might not be Jedi-strong."

The two of them sorted through the rest of the hatchlings, taking their time with each. Several of them were sensitives; all but one of Sky-Dancer's hatchlings were. But only Exploding-Shell was a strong enough one that B'lyn felt truly comfortable taking him to join the Jedi.

"There are Ka-Karur on Coruscant that he will be able to keep company with," she said. "But the other sensitives here, while we _could_ take one or two with him, wouldn't be strong enough to become full Jedi. I think it would be best for them to stay here, where their gifts are more badly needed."

"The final choice there is Dances-the-Sun's." Guards-Young nodded as the youngsters began to play again. "I think she will accept it as enough. We have known a long time that a Ka-Karur Jedi would have a strange flock. It is little surprise he will go alone."

"Probably for the best if he does," B'lyn agreed. "My Master and his brother aside, it is very rare for a Jedi to stay with his friends all the time. Thank you for your help, Guards-Young." She said, standing and bowing respectfully to the Ka-Karur.

"You are most welcome, Jedi B'lyn." She dipped her body in a deep bow. "There will be a great celebration when you ask for him. We have waited a long time for this."

"Yes, you have," B'lyn smiled. "I'm sure he will make his people proud. I will be in to check on him from time to time; I'll see you then."

* * *

* * *

["Jedi coming."] Exploding-Shell brought his head up quickly from a wrestling match with another male hatchling he had pinned down. Their feathers were still soft enough that there was no real danger in it as long as they watched out for their razor-sharp claws and teeth, though at a quarter their adult size, they were becoming rather dangerous predators when their muscles cooperated with them.

["Lucky for you,"] Sand-Digger said, squirming out from under his cousin. ["I would have beaten you in a minute!"]

["Not a chance."] Exploding-Shell pounced on him again to the delight of several spectators among the hatchlings.

The two of them squirmed and writhed on the sandy floor of the cave for a few more moments before two of the adults arrived along with Jedi B'lyn.

["Exploding-Shell,"] Sky-Dancer clicked, causing the wrestling match to come to an abrupt stop as both hatchlings looked up at the soon-to-be-winner's mother.

["Yes, Mother?"] He stood up straight and dipped his head to her, his flock leader and the local Jedi leader. As used to them as he was, he remembered his manners most of the time.

["We want to talk with you,"] she explained. ["You can go back to playing soon."]

["There's nothing wrong though,"] Jedi B'lyn added reassuringly.

The other hatchlings took the hint, quickly moving off a little bit to play while the adults spoke with Exploding-Shell.

["Yes, Jedi B'lyn?"] He focused on her, fascinated as he always was when he saw a Jedi.

["Have you been practicing with your gift?"} The Twi'lek asked, taking a seat on a nearby rock.

["Yes, Jedi B'lyn."] He nodded very seriously. ["Every day I try to move things without touching, to hear what others are thinking or feeling and see what I can not see."]

["And how successful are you, usually?"] B'lyn asked knowingly, sure that it was hit or miss at best for now.

["I can usually make things move, eventually."] He admitted to the difficulty. ["The other things are much harder. Hearing people and seeing elsewhere was much easier in the shell."]

["I'm not surprised; you're managing quite a bit for somebody as young as you. Not even your mother was doing that quite this young,"] B'lyn chuckled, glancing at Sky-Dancer.

["True, and I still can not see what is not visible."] Sky-Dancer nodded. ["B'lyn believes you are strong enough to be trained as a Jedi when you are ready to leave the hatching grounds. While they say the choice is mine and Dances-the-Sun, you are old enough to have a voice in the matter. What do you say about leaving your flock, this world, to become one of them?"]

["I would be honored."] He bowed politely to them.

["There won't be any other Ka-Karur your age there,"] B'lyn cautioned him. ["Though there are some adults there, and you will find friends among the other] Initiates [I'm sure."]

["I will go."] The hatchling stated determinedly. ["A flock does not have to be all Ka-Karur."]

["Then your mother and flock-leader have agreed,"] B'lyn nodded. ["In a few months, you will leave for Coruscant. One of the other Jedi will come here every once in a while until then, to get you started on some of your lessons."]

["Good."] Exploding-Shell nodded, his excitement clear.

["Somebody will be down later then,"] B'lyn smiled. ["Why don't you go play with your friends again, for now."]

["Yes, Jedi B'lyn."] He bowed to them again and turned to sneak up on one of his clutch-mates.

["He will be a handful for his teachers."] Sky-Dancer clicked in mild amusement.

"They usually are," B'lyn chuckled as his pounce was interrupted by Sand-Digger proving his name once again by popping up out of the sandy floor for another rematch. "Fortunately, his teachers are used to handfuls."

"I expect so. The more intelligent and gifted one is, the more active they tend to be." Sky-Dancer nodded and watched the clutch play. "They are quite an aggressive group, this clutching. It will be good for the flock."

"Let's just hope Exploding-Shell can direct it properly once he's on Coruscant," B'lyn mused. It was, really, the one point that might be a problem with his career. "I'm afraid I have some other duties to attend to just now. Force be with the both of you," she said, standing with a polite bow to the two Ka-Karur.


	3. The Jedi Temple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RakiJedi-KurraConnor, the first Ka-Karur to enter Jedi training, and his introduction to the Temple and his roommates is an education all on it's own.

The freshly christened RakiJedi-KurraConnor let out a small sound of relief when Master B'lyn led him away from the raucous party celebrating his acceptance into the Jedi Order. In a way, he knew it was a serious honor to bear the name, but being known as 'First-Jedi-Honors-Connor' was not as satisfying as he thought it would be. It said nothing about _him_. It spoke of his race, the past and his future, but he couldn't think of looking forward to earning a new name more. 

Something that only he would bear, not that was waiting for whatever was hatched strong enough to bear it. 

"So, think you're ready to go?" Master B'lyn asked him as they made their way towards the tall Temple Spire that now dominated the Jedi Gorge. 

"Yes, Master B'lyn." He nodded politely. "They are all so excited about this." 

"They've been waiting for almost a hundred years for somebody to be a strong enough sensitive to join the Order.... I've tried to explain that it isn't _that_ important, but it's a point of pride for them, I think," B'lyn explained. 

"A Jedi gave his life so we could live." RakiJedi-KurraConnor told her very seriously. "Now we can finally give a life back to the Jedi for him." 

"If it makes you feel any better, you won't be the center of everybody's attention quite as much once you're on Coruscant. Not once they've gotten used to you." 

"Good," he chirped with a bit of relief, looking up at her happily. "I want to learn." 

"Oh, you'll do plenty of that," she chuckled. "Probably learn more about more things than you've ever imagined. And not all of it about the Force." 

"Languages, fighting, cultures, peace-keeping ... Master Istala told me some of the things I would be learning." 

"And various forms of technology ... all manner of different things are possible, really, depending on what you focus on," B'lyn smiled. "And your classes will probably be a bit more focused now." As they entered the Temple, the Wolf he had mentioned approached them. 

"Well, I understand you're about ready to go to Coruscant," she smiled, giving both he and B'lyn a polite bow. 

"Yes, Master Istala." RakiJedi-KurraConnor bowed in return. "I am looking forward to seeing the Temple there." 

"If you're as good a student for them as you have been for me, I'm sure you'll do well," she smiled. "Force be with you, RakiJedi-KurraConnor," she said, trying not to stumble over the fairly cumbersome name. 

"You might consider a shortened form of that," B'lyn said apologetically as they continued towards the docking bay and the fully-stocked ship that would take them to Coruscant, along with a shipment of crystals and harvested foodstuffs. "It's a bit of a mouthful." 

"I will think on it, Masters." He dipped his head. 

"If nothing else, just don't be offended if anybody comes up with a nickname for you," B'lyn smiled, nodding to the Padawan in charge of making sure everything was loaded. "It's common amongst the Initiates, usually a friendly thing." 

"I will remember, Master B'lyn." He looked at her and nodded seriously. "I expect to have several names in my life." 

"I wouldn't be at all surprised if you did," she smiled as they boarded the ship. "You have the spirit to earn them. Just don't keep the administrators _too_ busy updating your records," she winked. 

"I will not, Master B'lyn." He said seriously, though he did kind of catch the joke. "How long a journey is it to Coruscant?" 

"About five days, on this ship," she explained. "Barring something coming up. We'll spend part of the time helping you prepare to meet the Council, but you'll have most of it to yourself." 

"I understand, Master B'lyn." He dipped his head. "When will we prepare for the meeting?" 

"We could start now, if you'd like," B'lyn offered easily. "Just as soon as we're into hyperspace." 

"Yes, Master B'lyn." He grinned up at her. 

* * *

* * *

["Oh wow."] RakiJedi-KurraConnor breathed as he looked down on Coruscant's world-city and the gleaming white spires of the Jedi Temple that glowed with the energy and life of their inhabitants. 

Between his Force sensitivity and his natural ability to see things most species couldn't, it was breathtaking to say the least... though he could sense an undercurrent of something not quite right. 

"It is impressive, isn't it?" B'lyn asked with a smile. "You'll get used to it fairly soon, I'm sure. Speaks-with-Jedi had adjusted before the year was out." 

"Yes, Master B'lyn. What is wrong? Something is out of balance there." He asked without taking his gaze off the gleaming spires. 

"The Temple?" She asked, looking to see what it was he was talking about. "Ah. What you're seeing is the undercurrent of Coruscant. Unfortunately, the Jedi can't fix every problem. One of the drawbacks of modern civilization is that there are often people who can't afford to live as well as they should, or as well as they want to at any rate. There's a sort of desperation that goes along with poverty that blends in with the background 'noise' of the Force. That's what you're sensing here." 

"Oh." He nodded slightly. "It is very different from home. Why is the bad feeling so much stronger there?" He pointed to the government sector so nearby the Jedi Temple. 

"There are some members of the Republic's government who are less than honest in their dealings," B'lyn explained. "Not necessarily corrupt, but what they do often results in things happening that probably shouldn't. We do our best to stop them, but there's only so much that can be done, particularly when what they do isn't _quite_ illegal." 

"Too many people to take care of?" He finally looked at her. "Leaders don't see them anymore?" 

"Something like that," she nodded. "They see some of them, but not all. Some leaders are better, but there are many who don't pay enough attention to what is happening at the bottom, because they're busy staying on the top." 

"Why don't they spread out, or stop breeding?" He was now focused completely on the elder Twi'lek. 

"They do spread out sometimes, and most species would probably rebel if they were told not to breed," she explained as the ship came in for the final approach to the Temple. "Unfortunately, when you're already spread out across most of the known galaxy, you start to run out of places that are suitable." 

"Why would they rebel?" RakiJedi-KurraConnor didn't even blink, his voice even and not incriminating in his confusion. "Don't they care about survival?" 

"They do, and some races do control their breeding like the Ka-Karur. But our people aren't organized in flocks; individual families are very important to most of our races. If you tell them not to breed, then their families might never continue. They find other ways to support their numbers ... not always good ones, but they find ways." 

He nodded slightly and focused back on the vision of light and energy that was the Jedi Temple. "It is very different here." 

"Very true," B'lyn murmured, realizing not for the first time that she'd spent more time on Evidran Three than she had on Coruscant, in the past few decades. "But it has its good points too," she reassured him as the ship stopped, and they started making their way towards the landing ramp. 

"If it did not, the Jedi would not have their gathering ground here." He agreed with as close as he could come to a correlation. Hatching ground felt more accurate, but didn't seem quite right. "There is much good power here. Like the Valley Temple." 

"Exactly," B'lyn nodded with a smile. "We actually modeled it after the Temple Spire, though it's not nearly as impressive inside." 

"No Council." He nodded seriously. "No great government or galaxy to impress. Just Ka-Karur." 

"And we didn't really have the resources to build some of what we have in here," B'lyn chuckled as they reached the landing ramp and walked down to the landing platform. "The Council will be expecting us, so we'll just go to the waiting chamber. Mostly lifts," she chuckled, remembering well Speaks-with-Jedi's first reaction to them decades ago. 

"I understand." He nodded and followed her, understanding now why there had been so many rides in the one the Valley Temple. "They are not bad." 

"No, they're not," she said easily. "But every other Ka-Karur who's visited here has ended up startled by them," she chuckled. 

"Like I did, the first time." He dipped his head in embarrassment. "It is not natural to move like that." 

"It's why we made sure to build stairs in the Valley Temple," she chuckled. "But frankly, climbing to the top of the Temple Spire on stairs would be like climbing a mountain." 

She could almost hear his first, unspoken, response of 'so what?' and had to give the six month old credit for not saying it. There were full Padawans that hadn't managed to learn that lesson yet. 

"Here we are," she said, stopping at a lift and waiting for the lift to arrive. Fortunately, it didn't take too long, a droid wheeling a cart out to collect something for one of the laboratories from the ship. 

"It is incredible." RakiJedi-KurraConnor breathed in deeply of the power-drenched air and the harmony that resonated here so strongly. 

The two of them boarded the lift, taking it up the half-kilometer or so left to reach the waiting area outside the Council chambers. Once again his attention was drawn outside to the expanse of city that he could only correlate to the expanse of forests back home. His world was green; this one was silvery-white. 

"The view is incredible." He whispered, ignoring the splotches of dark and ugly that his Force-senses picked up in variation in the government sector. "What are the other areas around?" He asked with a motion to spots not so Dark. 

"Outside the Temple and the government sector?" She asked him, judging where it was he was motioning to. "A lot of different places. The Coruscant Opera House and Skydome Botanical Gardens are the largest buildings," she explained, indicating the buildings in question. 

"Not every area is named?" He looked over at her. 

"Not all of them," she said, catching on to what he meant. "Or more accurately, I haven't got a clue what all of them are named anymore," she chuckled. "Names will change as people move in or out, as different companies run different areas, that sort of thing." 

"Oh," he nodded. While he didn't quite completely understand, what she said was filed away and accepted as the truth. 

"They are ready to see us now." B'lyn touched his shoulder lightly after Master Tarasix Archicrani touched her mind lightly. 

"I am ready, Master B'lyn." He dipped his head slightly and followed her into the lift that would take them into the Council Chamber itself. 

The door opened for them, and they advanced to the middle of the room, surrounded by the twelve Councilors as they both bowed respectfully. 

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Master B'lyn," Master Layaana said, the blue-skinned Twi'lek bowing her head respectfully to her former Master. 

"A pleasure to be back, Councilors," B'lyn said easily. "Particularly under these circumstances." 

"Yes, it is a fine day when a Ka-Karur finally stands before us for acceptance into the Order." Master Tarasix Archicrani inclined her head to them. The finely boned pink and blue Archaeopteryx was nearly glowing with the Light of her pleasure and power. "Shall we deal with the formalities?" 

"I see no reason not to," Master Therin said easily, the black-furred Fox opening up a small computer. "Though it would be good to have a name to call our new initiate by," he chuckled. 

"I am RakiJedi-KurraConnor." He said with a formal dignity befitting the situation. "It means First-Jedi-Honors-Connor. Raki would be acceptable in informal situations." 

"Very well," the Fox nodded, taking down the information. "I see that your testing on Evidran was thorough enough to accept in lieu of testing here, so we won't worry about that. Do you have any questions for the Council?" 

"No, Master Therin." He answered politely. 

"I do have a question, for Master B'lyn," Master Gabbard, a lean human whose hair was already white with age said. "Why did you wait so long before bringing him to us?" 

"Night Raptors mature quickly, Master Gabbard," B'lyn said easily. "He is about six months old now, no more. For the first six months, they're barely allowed out of the hatching caves, let alone off-planet; they're too young to really move about particularly well." 

"My feathers have still not fully grown in." Raki added helpfully, fluffing the somewhat hardened layer. 

"Very well," the human nodded easily. "In that case, barring objections, I believe you can be brought into the Order as a full Initiate," he said, glancing around at the Council, sure there would be none. 

"Good." Master Archicrani nodded. "Welcome to the Order, Initiate RakiJedi-KurraConnor." 

"Thank you, Master Archicrani." He bowed deeply to her. 

"Knight Thorrson will take you to the crèche," the Archaeopteryx said, indicating an adult Trandoshan, the Monitor-like lizard wearing Jedi robes as he stepped out of a corner and bowed politely to the new recruit. 

"Thank you, Master Archicrani." He bowed a second time and turned to bow to the Knight. 

"Follow me," Thorrson said easily, padding off. Both their clawed feet clicking lightly on the marble floor as he led RakiJedi-KurraConnor back out of the Council Chamber, the young Ka-Karur walking behind him in polite silence. 

"Would you like me to answer any questions on the way?" The Knight asked as they boarded the lift, traveling rapidly towards ground level. 

"I can not think of anything right know, Knight Thorrson." Raki shook his head a bit. "Master B'lyn made sure that the crèche has the supplies needed for me to grow up healthy, that I would be with Initiates old enough to understand that touching me can hurt if they aren't careful, that I would see and learn from other Ka-Karur from time to time when I am old enough to learn how to use my feathers and such and that I shouldn't hunt things here without getting permission first." 

"You know the basics then," the Trandoshan nodded. "You will also be in an area that's warm enough to be comfortable for you; over time, we'll show you the way to the Illiquar Gardens and some of the other tropical gardens." 

"I look forward too it, Knight Thorrson. It is a bit cool here." 

"You'll get used to it, over time," he chuckled. "Fortunately, the WeatherNet keeps things reasonably comfortable through most of the world. I've had to visit more than one truly cold world, and it's not particularly pleasant when you're native to a warmer one." 

"Even less pleasant when you do not generate your own body heat." Raki nodded. 

"Yes," the Trandoshan nodded. "On the plus side they managed to develop something that made it more tolerable." They walked through the wide, open spaces of Coruscant to another spire, taking a lift up to a comfortably warm, humid floor as Raki checked out everything with his full senses. 

"Are you going to prefer sand, or some sort of plant matter for your bed?" Knight Thorsson asked. 

"Sand, Knight Thorsson." He answered politely. 

"We expected as much," he nodded. "We have several other Initiates who also use nests, rather than beds, so you'll be rooming with some of them. I hope you enjoy your time with the crèche." 

"I do as well, Knight Thorsson." He dipped his head slightly as the snake-bodied Knight keyed in the pass code. 

The two of them entered the room, the scent of plants and earth noticeable and comforting as Raki was led back towards the fifth room down the hall. 

"This is your room," the Trandoshan explained. "Meals are available at any time, but we recommend shortly after you and your roommates wake up, then every six hours after that. Your class schedule will be arranged over the next few days, once we can assess your progress so far. Now, allow me to introduce your roommates," he said as the door opened. 

"Hi Knight Thorsson." A fledgling Archaeopteryx with blue, pink and dark green tints in her fluff as she looked up at the pair so much taller than herself. 

"Hello Initiate Tekika Archicrani," the Trandoshan said easily, nodding his head towards her. "This is Initiate RakiJedi-KurraConnor," he explained, indicating the young Ka-Karur. "Raki for short," he added. "Where are the others?" 

"Wiliran is meditating, and Tanlor is around somewhere, Knight Thorsson." She said easily. "Welcome Raki. You have the new sandbox?" 

"Yes," he nodded and stepped into the room a bit, sniffing around as he fluffed his stiff feathers to draw the warm, moist air into his undercoat and against his skin. "Thank you, Tekika." 

"I'll leave you to get adjusted," Knight Thorsson said easily. "Force be with you, Raki, Tekika. If your roommates aren't back by sundown, send word, we'll double-check where they are." The Trandoshan stepped back out of the room, the door sliding shut just behind his heavily built body before a dark green Saurian much like Raki, though a bit more vertical, popped his head out from behind a bookshelf. 

"Hello," he said, dark-red, mask-like markings on his face as he stepped out from his hiding place. "I'm Uul-Tan-Lor," he said. "But you can call me Tanlor." He cocked his head slightly as he took in the newcomer and found a very similar expression gazing back at him as the Ka-Karur assessed this creature similar to a humanoid non-feathered version of himself. 

"Hello, Tanlor." Raki chirped pleasantly as they watched each other, their eyes on level. "How close to full-grown are you?" 

"About half," Tanlor said, flexing his hands, the fingers shorter and thicker than Raki's. "My arms are growing better now. You're not a Tiss'shar, are you?" He observed. 

"No," he shook his head. "I'm a Ka-Karur, the first to be accepted into the Order." Tension rippled across his body as he caught motion outside the window, then relaxed quickly at the small, skin-winged humanoid Saurian that landed on the thick ledge. "Are you Wiliran?" 

"Yep," the Vor nodded as she slipped in through the window, opening it from the outside. "I had a feeling somebody new was here, so I thought I'd come up and say hi." 

"Hello," Raki chirped pleasantly to her. "I am RakiJedi-KurraConnor, but Raki will do." 

"Good to meet you, Raki," she chirped back. "I'm Wilira, but most people call me Willie." 

"So how old are you?" Tekika asked, trying to gauge his feather growth and physical growth. 

"Six months," Raki nodded to her. "Just old enough to leave the hatching grounds." 

"You grow fast," the two Saurians observed almost as one, Willie climbing in through the window and settling into a small nest nearby. 

"How much bigger will you probably get?" Tanlor asked, sitting down in the older of the two sand-beds. 

"Three time as heavy and half again as tall over five years. The big growth spurt is over now. A lot more energy will be spent developing my feathers for a while." 

"You get more of them, or just brighter?" Tanlor asked him, most fascinated by the crystalline covering on his new roommate that was so different from anything he'd seen before. 

"Harder and sharper," Willie answered. "I remember getting a lecture about them when Speaks-with-Jedi was visiting once." 

"And more, and longer." Raki added with a nod to her. "It's part of why I'm with older Initiates. It's too dangerous for me to still be learning about my feathers around those that can not yet grasp 'do not touch'." 

"Explains why you're in this wing too," Tanlor nodded. "This whole floor has Initiates who use nests instead of beds. Probably rip one up if you were in with the others." 

"Most likely," Raki nodded and took a long moment to make a hollow for himself in his sandy bed. "It's nice and warm here too." He settled down with a contented chirping sigh. "It's not that cold out there, but it's so nice here." 

"Definitely nicer in here," Willie agreed. "It can get pretty chilly when you're out around the top of the Spires, no matter how warm it is on the ground." 

"I do not doubt it." Raki nodded. "It must be amazing to see things from the air like that." 

"It is," she nodded, parting her long mouth in a grin. "If you can get up on top of the Temple Spire, you can see for _ever_. They don't like it when I get up there, but it's a great place to meditate when it's not too windy." 

"I bet; no one even close." Raki clicked happily. "Knight Thorsson mentioned there are tropical gardens here." He glanced around for confirmation. 

"The Illiquar," Tanlor nodded easily. "Want me to show you the way?" He offered. "Just have to remember not to hunt anybody down there, _especially_ not if they look like a lion-tailed rabbit with color-changing fur." 

"Because that's a Kushiban," Raki nodded with an amused click. "I got a long lecture about that one, and the 'do not hunt' before I came. Master B'lyn said that if I ask first, some might be willing to let me play-hunt for practice, but to always ask first." He added very seriously. "I would very much like to know the way to the Illiquar." 

"I got the 'picked up and dangled until I apologized' version of the lecture," Tanlor admitted sheepishly. "But come on, I'll show you the way," he said, standing from his sandy nest and stepping towards the door. 

"I bet you will never forget it, though." Raki stood and happily padded after his featherless companion. 

"Nope," the Tiss'shar chuckled slightly as they started down. "On the plus side, they don't have sensitive butterflies yet, so those we can still chase... I've tried going after the birds once in a while, but just to practice." 

"Sensitive butterflies?" Raki's eyes went wide. "That is an idea I hope never comes true. Nothing would be safe to chase anymore." 

"No kidding," Tanlor chuckled, shaking his head as they got on board the lift and started down. "The way I see it though, it's usually safe to chase it if it's smaller than a Kushiban. Usually." 

"It would be hard to get a brain big enough to be smart in a head any smaller. It's still hard to think of something with a head that small being that smart." Raki shook his head. "I'm looking forward to meeting one, though. I can't think of a person much more different to a Ka-Karur than that." 

"Master Vorok," Tanlor said immediately, shaking his head. "He is very, _very_ different. Nice, but different. You'll probably meet him during your telepathy training." 

"More different than a telekinetic rabbit?" Raki regarded him dubiously. 

"It's hard to explain what he's like, but a _lot_ more different," Tanlor nodded as the lift opened into open yards of the Temple. "At least the Kushiban look like animals." 

"Okay, anything that doesn't look like an animal is up there on the weird scale." Raki shook his head. "I get the feeling that Master B'lyn left a _lot_ out when she taught me about the Temple and races." 

"Did she warn you about the Drakon?" Tanlor asked him, glancing over as they made their way to the Illiquar Gardens. 

"Yes," he shuddered slightly. "That will take a while to get used to. Creatures like that eat people on Evidran." 

"Another race?" Tanlor asked him. "Or just big pred's?" 

"Very big flying predators." Raki explained as they continued through the cooler halls of the main Temple areas. "One of the more dangerous things to us." 

"I'll bet," the Tiss'shar nodded. "On the plus side, nothing around the Temple's going to try and eat us, and if we're somewhere something _will_ , then we're in bigger trouble." 

"At least for a few more years." Raki nodded and watched the keycode for the garden as it was typed in. "When we're Padawans and not Initiates." He took a deep breath of the jungle's humid warmth he'd left behind days ago. "This is nice." He crooned as the door shut behind them and he took everything in. 

"Yeah, it is," Tanlor agreed with a deep breath of his own and a bit of a sigh. "A lot more like home." 

"Definitely." He murmured, then froze at a bit of movement, the hunting instincts taking over and following the motion until it was identified as a small fluttering insect. "First target." He grinned and ran after the erratic movement. 

"Definitely a good call," Tanlor grinned, taking off after his new friend. It wasn't long before he caught Raki loose his balance slightly, then again badly enough to tumble sideways, landing with a heavy thump in the rich soil and ground cover. 

Concerned, he picked up the pace, hurrying to his side. 

"Are you okay?" The Tiss'shar asked Raki, helping him up after a bit of a fall. 

"Yes," he nodded, ducking his head a bit in embarrassment. "I'm just still learning how to move. It's only been a week since I was old enough to leave the hatching grounds. My legs aren't quite strong enough all the time yet." 

"It's okay," Tanlor chuckled slightly, ducking his own head. "You should see me in lightsaber training, with my hands changing." 

"Why do they change?" Raki cocked his head as he fluffed his still-soft feathers out. 

"They're more like yours when we're younger, they don't develop as much for the first few years," Tanlor explained. "We need to run before we fight, I think is how they explained it." 

"Makes sense to me," he nodded easily, then grinned. "Let's go find another butterfly." 

"I know where we can find some of the big ones," Tanlor grinned, turning and leading the way as they went to enjoy themselves.


	4. Morning Tours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raki's first day includes a little bonding with his roommates and his first formal lesson in Far Seeing.

Raki opened one eye when a soft whistle changed the audio resonance of the room, then closed it again when he saw it was only Wiliran sitting on the window ledge, the window now open. A few minutes later he lifted his head to look at the other two in the room, not sure if he should be getting up so early like the Vor or if there was time to sleep more. 

With both Tanlor and Tekika still soundly asleep, he decided it was safe to sleep for a bit longer. 

Before too long though, the gradually encroaching sunlight in the Temple was rousing him, Wiliran moving out of the window to let it in, a bright beam falling directly on Tanlor and starting to rouse the cold-blooded Tiss'shar. 

Raki slowly stood, careful of his still not-quite-steady legs, and stretched out, enjoying the first movements of the day. 

He turned his head on its long neck to look at Wiliran. "How long before we eat?" He asked quietly. 

"Whenever you're ready," she said quietly. "Meals aren't really scheduled. Want me to show you the way?" 

"I was hoping for time to bathe first." He grinned at her and fluffed his soft, crystalline feathers out before slipping into the bathroom with its mist-shower over a large oval bathtub. 

A few minutes passed as he let the water warm up and started to clean up before the door slid open again. Tanlor walked in, clearly just waking up as he yawned, showing a large collection of razor-sharp teeth as he glanced about the room briefly and shook himself out, still a little sluggish. 

"Morning, Tanlor." Raki chirped in welcome as he fluffed his feathers to get water all the way down to his skin to wash away the dirt and bits of plan material of the day before. 

"Morning," the Tiss'shar nodded slightly. "That water warm?" He asked. 

"Yes, care to join me?" He offered easily and stepped a bit foreword to give the other youth room. 

"Yes, thank you," Tanlor nodded, slipping into the pool and seeming to perk up almost immediately. "You don't mind sharing a bath then?" He asked Raki. 

"Not at all." He grinned at the Tiss'shar. "Especially not with flock-mates ... roommates ... and such. The heat is good for you?" He asked curiously about the abrupt shift in Tanlor's awareness. 

"Yeah, it is," the Tiss'shar nodded. "Especially when I'm still run down. Speeds things up after a cooler night." 

"Why does the temperature matter?" Raki grabbed a handful of soft soap crystals and began the work on his dusty body. 

"Cold-blooded," Tanlor explained. "My body temperature's whatever the rest of the world's at, so if it's colder I'm a little sluggish until I manage to warm up. Want some help with that?" He offered. 

"Ohh, I'd like that very much." Raki ruffled his feathers in excitement. "Your scales are strong enough that you won't be cut by them yet." 

"I'll have to learn to be careful around them anyways," Tanlor pointed out with a chirp as he moved to help wash the Ka-Karur. "Hard to stay in the same room without bumping into each other occasionally, after all." 

"True," he nodded and helped out as best he could. "You'll have another six months before they are particularly dangerous to you. By then, I'll be much more coordinated." 

"You're doing pretty well even now, really," Tanlor pointed out. "A Tiss'shar your age wouldn't even be walking yet." 

"I've been told that Ka-Karur mature very quickly for as long as we live." Raki nodded and crooned in the pleasure of being groomed by another. "Even the Council seemed a bit surprised when I met them." 

"How long do you live?" Tanlor asked curiously. 

"Barring violence and disease, over three hundred years." Raki said softly. "Not many make it that long, but it's known." 

"Whoa," the Tiss'shar said, blinking as he paused for a moment. "And here I thought my people got old." 

"How long do your kind live?" He snaked his head over his shoulder to look at him. 

"Something like a hundred, if nothing else catches us first," Tanlor said easily. "It seems like a lot when you're six," he pointed out a little sheepishly as he returned to the scrubbing. 

"I can't even figure out what it would be like to be that old," Raki chuckled in agreement. "Most Ka-Karur don't live fifty years. That's when our feathers start to loose their strength and turn white." 

"Well, as a Jedi, that'll probably take longer," Tanlor told him. "Jedi last a long time, usually." 

"As long as they don't get killed on a mission." He nodded, then groaned deeply when Tanlor's work moved over a sore muscle bunch from the day before. "Oh, that feels good." 

"Still stiff from that fall from the baffor tree?" Tanlor asked, working it over carefully. 

"A little." He nodded. "And more running and jumping than I've ever done." 

"You'll get used to it," Tanlor chuckled. "Trust me, you'll get used to it. Once you're walking better and start the physical training, you'll think last night was nothing." 

"I don't doubt it." Raki grinned and dropped into the water pool of the tub to rinse off with much splashing and ruffling of feathers in the warm water. "I only started to really walk a month ago. An adult can run for days without trouble." 

"So how long have the Ka-Karur known about the Republic?" Tanlor asked as he started washing himself down quickly, the process a lot easier with his smooth-scaled skin. 

"Eighty years. A Jedi named Connor came to Evidran. He died stopping the Trade Federation from killing us all. I'm the first hatchling strong enough to be a Jedi since then. Speaks-with-Jedi was called Nose-in-Danger then. He was the first Ka-Karur to leave Evidran, and he convinced the Republic we are people, not animals. We have had a Jedi Temple on Evidran ever since." 

"So your name is connected to that story?" Tanlor asked him between dunking down to rinse himself off briefly. 

"Yes," he nodded slightly. "It means 'First-Jedi-Honors-Connor'. Whoever came to this Temple first would bear it. That was decided before the Temple on Evidran was even built." 

"That's a heck of a name to try to live up to," Tanlor nodded. "Not entirely sure what mine means, honestly. Meanings aren't as important as they used to be back home." 

"Ours tend to be descriptive." Raki splashed in the water a bit more before standing and shaking off vigorously. "Tends-the-Wounds are healers, Hunts-Rikuuta have learned how to bring in the monster fish. My mother, Sky-Dancer, could fly and dance in the air. I think it's called Telekinetics. White-Star had a white marking on his chest feathers. Speaks-with-Jedi was the first to speak with a Jedi. Climbs-High liked to do that. Things like that. Many of us have several over our lives." 

"It used to be like that for us too," Tanlor nodded, climbing out and shaking down on his own. "Some of us still want it to be, but changing names can cause trouble if it happens too much. Do you name yourselves, or your own kind have to choose one?" He asked. 

"Sometimes it's chosen by others, sometimes ourselves. Most of the time a name simply happens over time until everyone uses it. Not many take it all that seriously. It's just what we're called, not who we are." 

"I think I like that system," the Tiss'shar grinned. "So, breakfast?" 

"Sounds good." Raki nodded and stepped out of the tub. "They do serve meat here, right?" 

"Oh yeah," Tanlor grinned. "Lots of different types too. Too many carnivores around here for them to really try and stick to vegetarian menus." 

"Good," he let out a little breath of relief and ducked out of the bathroom, his freshly cleaned crystalline feathers glittering in the daylight. "I'm hungry." 

"Don't blame you," Tanlor said, following him out. "Willie, Tekika want to come get something to eat?" He asked, not sure if the Archaeopteryx was awake enough yet. 

"Always," she looked up and shook herself out. "You all warm again?" 

"Yep," Tanlor nodded. "Still faster than sunbathing." 

"Sounds good." The Vor nodded and hopped down from the window ledge. 

"Well, let's go then," the Tiss'shar said easily, starting to lead the foursome out, none of them bothering with clothing just now 

Which, Raki noticed as they made their way through the halls, wasn't too uncommon here; a number of the Initiates were wearing little or nothing, though most of the humanoids were wearing more than the saurians, and the older the people got, the more likely they were to wear something, even if not the full Jedi robes. 

"How do they decide who wears what here?" Raki asked as they entered the largest room he's ever seen, filled with youngsters and a handful of adults of several sore of races. 

"Mostly what it takes to cover up whatever should be covered up," Wilira said as they got into line. "You get off this floor, a lot more folks are wearing the robes and stuff. I'm probably not going to be wearing them for a while yet; they make flying tricky sometimes." 

"I imagine so," Raki nodded with a look at her before the scents of meat and spices and other delicious smelling things focused his attention further ahead to the offerings on hand. 

The four of them collected their breakfasts, all three helping Raki pick out a variety of foods they thought he would enjoy before they found a table to eat at. 

"You familiar with utensils?" Tanlor asked Raki as they started to eat. 

"A little," He nodded and picked up a knife and fork to cut up the extra-rare steak that was his main course. While more than a bit awkward with his long fingers and large curved claws tipping them, he did manage to get through the steak without trouble. 

"Okay," Tanlor nodded, handling his own utensils more easily with his better hands, though he did have to concentrate to keep from dropping the knife at several points. 

"You're pretty good with those." Tekika commented with a pleased chirp. 

"Thank you." Raki nodded to her and picked up the drink container designed for those without lips. Once more, he was grateful that he wasn't like Master B'lyn, who could choke while drinking. It was awkward, but he tipped his head all the way back and let the pointed opening of the container pour a mildly sweet liquid down his open throat. 

It was good; it tasted like some of the berries and fruits he'd tried on Evidran or on the ship on the way. He had to assume it was made out of the same sort of things. 

As hard as it was to eat like these people, their food was delicious and varied in a way he'd never have had on Evidran. 

The others ate and drank on their own, and Raki had a few moments to look around. He certainly wasn't the only one with unusual needs when he ate. There were actually a few Initiates who were quadrupeds with no manipulative limbs at all, eating and drinking out of bowls. 

Then something that he just couldn't process came into view and Raki's gaze didn't leave it as the bright green, many-limbed creature collected a plate of food not too unlike his own and found a seat. 

"That's a Verpine." Wiliran supplied between bites of a thick, meaty stew. "Insectoid." 

"Try not to stare, Raki. It's not polite." Tekika told him gently. "Even if they do look like the biggest walking snack you've ever seen." 

"Sorry," Raki ducked his head and focused on his meal, though he did keep stealing glances around at all the varied races. 

"You're new, most people understand," Tanlor explained. "But it is better to get used to 'em fast. Lots of different species around here, and there are more that just don't have Jedi." 

"I heard there were hundreds of races," he shook his head a bit and focused on his meal. "I just didn't believe there could be that many kinds of people." 

"It's about right," Wilira nodded. "Lots of different planets, dozens of systems, and most of them have at least one planet that has life on it." 

"You will be introduced to many of them over the next weeks." Knight Thorrson added as he walked up, noting their all but finished meals. "How was your morning, Raki?" He asked politely. 

"Very good, Knight Thorrson." Raki focused on the Trandoshan. "The bath-showers are very nice, the food is good, and I like my roommates." He nodded towards the other three with the greatest compliment he could at that point. 

"Good to know," the Trandoshan chuckled deeply. "Once you are done with your meal, it would be a good time to conduct a more thorough tour, discuss some of your classes." 

"Yes, Knight Thorsson." Raki nodded and quickly cleaned up what little was left on his plate. "Where should I put this?" 

"Over there," Knight Thorsson said easily and pointed to a receptacle, one of many like it around the large dinning area. 

"Thank you, Knight Thorsson." He nodded and quickly strode there, not quite a run, but a fast pace on very long legs and returned before the Knight could offer to go with him. "I would like that tour." 

"Follow me then," he said easily as the fluffy-feathered Ka-Karur happily jogged along, easily keeping up with the adult Trandoshan. "We'll start out at your quarters, so you know the way from there." 

"Thank you, Knight Thorsson." 

"You already know how to reach the cafeteria," the Trandoshan explained easily as they walked along. "There is another on the next floor down, in case there should be a rush or somesuch, but it's usually not necessary. Over time, you will be expected to take on some of the chores and duties around here, so you should consider what you might like to do. Cafeteria duty is reasonably popular, though there are many other possibilities." 

"I will look up what is available," Raki nodded and filed that away to look up after the major races of the Republic. 

"Your main classes, for now, will be language and knowledge-based," Knight Thorsson explained. "In particular, Jedi and Republic History. With over twenty thousand years of events to try and track, we like to start early." They reached Raki's quarters, turning to return to the lift. "The next three floors above us are primarily classes." 

"Is it just things to remember in these classes?" Raki asked curiously. 

"In some of them," Knight Thorsson nodded. "The history classes, mostly. The language classes include new languages, and new ways to use the ones you already know." 

Raki nodded. "Sounds like fairly easy classes." 

"Wait until you're taking your tests on the origin of the Jedi," the Trandoshan chuckled. "Especially the comparative ones." They reached the right floor, much cooler and less humid, and stepped off. "We're also going to start you on your physical training in the next month, both Jedi and Ka-Karur techniques, and basic Force training. I understand you have a talent for telekinesis?" 

"Yes, Knight Thorsson, and a perfect memory." He nodded slightly as he took in everything around him with every sense he had. 

"A racial trait?" The Trandoshan asked, not remembering that from his briefing. 

"No, Knight Thorsson." He explained with a happy chirp. "It is common for those who will learn a skill, a ... profession. Very common among Force-users too." 

"It will serve you well, as a student and Jedi," he nodded. "You should consider specializing as an investigator or scholar, if the work agrees with you." 

"I will consider it, Knight Thorsson." Raki dipped his head even as he was digging up the definitions of those two words. He could place the scholars; the Jedi's lorekeepers. Investigator he wasn't as clear on, but he remembered being told it had something to do with searching for problems ... he couldn't quite understand all of it, honestly. 

"Here is where you'll be taking your history and language classes," the Trandoshan said, indicating several classrooms. "They're not in session just now, or I'd introduce you to your Masters, but you'll meet them soon enough." 

"I am looking forward to it, Knight Thorsson." He chirped, eager to learn what was on offer. He could tell that there were other classes meeting, just not his. As they walked along, he heard the distinctive sounds of lightsabers... lots of them. "Fighting practice?" 

"Early stages," Knight Thorsson nodded. "It's a rec-room during the off-hours, but for a few hours every day it's used to teach basic lightsaber control." 

"I won't be for a while yet, though, will I?" Raki glanced up at the older Jedi. 

"Not more than the most basic, and that's up to what we find about your physical abilities," he agreed. "They don't use real lightsabers in there though. Initiates only use training 'sabers until they become Padawans." 

"What is the difference?" 

"Have you seen what a real lightsaber is capable of doing in battle?" Knight Thorsson asked him. 

"No, Knight Thorsson." Raki shook his head slightly. 

"A lightsaber, a true lightsaber, burns hot enough to cut through most materials with ease," the Trandoshan explained. "They can sever limbs almost without effort. A training lightsaber is modified in such a way that it cannot inflict lethal injuries unless you are _very_ determined to do so. It handles like a real lightsaber, and it can stop one, but those are largely the only similarities. A mistake is going to be far less traumatic." 

"A good thing, when you are still learning what to do with it." He nodded seriously, impressed by the description of a real weapon's capabilities. 

"Particularly given how many minor burns the medics end up treating during the first few weeks," the Trandoshan nodded. "If not for training sabers, there wouldn't be a non-Trandoshan Jedi alive who didn't have at least one cyber-limb. By the way, if it comes up, medical occupies the second floor." 

"Understood, Knight Thorsson." Raki nodded. 

The two of them started for another room, but Knight Thorsson paused as a small clock chimed. 

"We'll have to continue the tour in a bit; you have an appointment," he explained, turning back towards the lifts. "If you'll follow me, you have a checkup in medical scheduled." 

The two of them returned to the lift, taking it down the few floors they needed to, stepping out into the cooler, dryer air of medical, and quickly make their way back towards a set-off room. Raki perked up immediately as he sensed another Ka-Karur in the area. 

"Rhah, RakiJedi-KurraConnor." The mature Ka-Karur in the room crooned to him. 

"Rhah, Sa'as-Coruscant." Raki dipped his fore-body towards her in greeting. 

"I will leave the two of you to your business," Knight Thorsson said easily, bowing slightly to the adult Ka-Karur. "One of the Knights will meet him when you are finished. Force be with the both of you." 

"Thank you, Knight Thorsson." Sa'as-Coruscant dipped her head slightly, then turned to Raki. "Did you sleep well last night?" 

"Yes, Sa'as-Coruscant." He nodded. "The sand they found for me is very fine and soft. The bathing water is wonderfully warm. The food is different, but it tastes good." 

"Good," she gave him a quick check visually. "You seem to be in good shape for your age. How is your balance?" 

"Good, most of the time, Sa'as-Coruscant. Sometimes I forget where my body is." He admitted quietly. 

"That will come with practice," she assured him gently. "You are still very young. Have you been instructed in the use of the supplements you will need for your feathers to grow in properly?" 

"Yes, Sa'as-Coruscant." He nodded. "One packet of the powder mixed into a meal once a week." 

"Good. Now, let us begin the physical check. Mirror me." Sa'as-Coruscant told him before sliding forward so her hands and toes supported her full weight with her body and long, stiff tail almost parallel with her outstretched legs. 

The position looks odd, but Raki didn't question her before he worked himself into it, his young limbs straining a bit to hold the unusual position. 

He strained even more as she shifted to hold one arm out and balance on the other. It only took a moment before his arm buckled and he flopped to the ground. 

With a near-instinctive level of stubbornness, he fought back up onto both arms, then tried to mirror his elder again, with about the same level of success. Frowning mentally, he tried again, then a fourth time, finally managing to hold the position, at least for a while. 

"Now down and roll forward to your feet." She demonstrated with an easy grace. "Never move backwards. Once your feathers grow in, all motions not meant to do damage should be forward." 

Raki dropped into the roll, managing that part of things easily enough. Coming up out of it was another issue; he managed to get his legs tangled when he was pulling them back under himself, squawking slightly in frustration as he untangled them and only just managed to not object when she gently guided him up with some support for his wobbling legs. 

"That is quite good for your age, RakiJedi-KurraConnor." Sa'as-Coruscant assured him with a light smile. "You will have quite a natural grace when you are grown." 

"I fell three times," he pointed out a little dubiously. 

"You tried four times." She pointed out with a gentle croon. "And you succeeded in the end." 

"True," he assented. "Were you just trying to see how well I moved?" 

"And how strong you are." She nodded. "You are the first to be raised away from Evidran. We do not know how this will affect you; there are so many things different. The next few years I will be by often to make sure you are growing up as you should." 

"I understand, Sa'as-Coruscant," he nodded. "It is very different here," he admitted and got a nuzzle to the side of his head. 

"You will not be alone, RakiJedi-KurraConnor." She crooned softly and put a hand on his shoulder. "We will be here often, and the Jedi understand we need a flock to be healthy." 

"Thank you," he said gratefully. "They are trying to help with that." 

"And how are they doing?" She cocked her head slightly. 

"Pretty well," he admitted. "It's not like home, but my roommates are nice. One of them even looks kind of like a Ka-Karur." 

"Yes, the Tiss'shar." She clicked with a nod. "I thought he might be nice to be around. Tekika, with her feathers, seemed a good choice as well. They are all also at the age where you will all be ready to be taken as Padawans within a couple years of each other." 

"And where they can be careful around a clumsy ball of sharp feathers," Raki said a little sheepishly. "They are nice though." 

"They are also much closer to your level of development." The healer added. "You would quickly be bored with most six month olds. You were more developed on your hatching day." 

"I guessed that much," he nodded. "Most people grow up _slow_ , don't they?" 

"Yes, they do. Most also live much longer than we do before they are old." She added. "Though few survive as long as we can once they are old. Living away from Evidran has had some effect on those of us to stay out here for many years, but none of us are sensitives like you. It is best to be home for a time every few years, and we have made this clear to the Order. They are agreeable to it, as long as it does not interfere with your training or duties. Do make sure it does not." 

"I will, Sa'as-Coruscant," he nodded. "As well as I can." 

"It is all I ask, RakiJedi-KurraConnor." She clicked agreeably. "Do you have any questions for me before you continue your tour?" 

"Not that I can think of, Sa'as-Coruscant," he said easily. "Not now, at least." 

She nodded and opened the door to find a lean Ringtail on the other side. 

"Greetings, Jedi Coron." She dipped her head to him. "We are done." 

"Thank you, Sa'as Coruscant" the Ringtail said, bowing politely. "RakiJedi-KurraConnor, if you will come with me? We'll finish up your tour quickly." 

"Yes, Knight Coron." Raki dipped his head and stepped out in pace with the adult Ringtail. 

* * *

* * *

Master Marlocke greeted his students at the door to his classroom, the middle-aged Jedi nodding politely as they entered and bowed to him. He noticed his new student, RakiJedi-KurraConnor, and nodded privately to himself. Introductions wouldn't take long. 

The human walked to his usual position, not sitting just yet, his students each finding a convenient place where they could sit once he had. The Ka-Karur found a place in the middle of the room, a place where he could be seen and see his fellow students, whom he was taking cues from. 

"We have a new student in the class today, Initiates," he explained. "RakiJedi-KurraConnor, please step forward so you can be seen." 

"Yes, Master Marlocke." Raki dipped his slender, triangular head on his long, serpentine neck and walked forward from the class group to stand next to the human and half turned to look at the class while his body was on profile. 

"He will be joining us, and we will be reviewing our last few lessons," Master Marlocke explained. "Given the results of the last tests, it would be a good idea anyways," he added with a bit of a chuckle, some of the students looking a little sheepish at the reminder. "You make go back to your place." He added to Raki when he realized that the youth wouldn't move without instructions. 

"Yes, Master Marlocke." He nodded and carefully walked between his classmates to his position in the middle again. 

"Now, take your places," he instructed his students, sitting down and preparing to meditate. "Whatever position is comfortable for you," he added, knowing that if Raki were to try and sit cross-legged it could be extremely painful. He was pleased to note that the hatchling Ka-Karur, while apparently a bit lacking in independent thought, was good at taking instructions as intended as his long legs disappeared under the large amount of crystalline fluff that covered his body. 

"Now, calm yourselves, and try to find your center. What is outside of you is not important just now; search for the Force inside of you." 

He watched his students in the Force, waiting for them to find their center and watching out for any that were having difficulties. He nodded slightly to himself when his newest student fell into the calmness of centered meditation with an instinctive ease. Whoever had trained him in the basics in Evidran had done well with his nature. 

The Jedi slipped into his own center with practice, instinctive ease, keeping enough focus on the world around him to speak to his students and monitor them. 

"From your center, try and look out over what is available to you," he told them. "All places, all times, are the same in the Force. What we need to do is pick one to focus on. Padawan Kemmet, your selection." 

"The Ice Gardens, now," the Twi'lek answered easily. 

"A good choice," the Jedi nodded slightly. "For those of you who have not been there, follow the Force as the class focuses on it, you will feel our attention shift to the proper place." To guarantee that they would, Master Marlocke reached out with his senses, 'leading' the way for the others with his Force presence. 

There were those with difficulty, mostly those he knew would, and he gave them a bit of gentle help before paying attention to his newest student who was apparently struggling with the very concept of what he was being asked to do. A little closer examination revealed that the hatchling was torn between doing what he had been told to do and another Force-eddy that wanted his attention. 

"* _Focus on your first duty; then we'll see about inspecting those,_ *" Master Marlocke told him privately, noting the startled fluff of feathers as Raki's head snapped up to look at him. "* _There's time. There is always time._ *" 

"* _Yes, Master Marlocke._ *" He thought back. While it didn't really qualify as telepathy, the Master heard it as Raki settled down against and settled back into a light meditation to follow the group to the blue-white beauty of a garden so alien he didn't even understand it. "* _Crystal?_ *" The thought came, loud enough for most to hear. 

"* _Ice,_ *" the human informed him. "Everybody choose something to observe, well enough that you can reproduce it for me when you return to the here and now." 

"* _Reproduce?_ *" Raki caught his attention, unsure what the Master actually desired. 

"* _Drawing on a pad,_ *" Master Marlocke explained with a mental image when he realized that 'drawing' wasn't really in the hatchling's functional vocabulary. "* _So that I can test your ability to recall what you see in your visions._ *" 

Raki nodded physically and scanned the area clumsily until he found a pond and frozen waterfall that he was fairly sure he could get his hands to recreate, at least well enough to make it understood. With his mind, he stalked around the small area, gathering details and determining the best place and angle to put in the drawing. 

He had to say, it was _very_ nice to be able to see this place through his mind, instead of actually being there. While it was beautiful, if everything around him was ice then it also had to be exceptionally cold. 

"Return to the here and now, students," Master Marlocke informed them after a brief time to study. "Your pads will be near you; reproduce what you have chosen." 

Raki slowly unfolded his upper body from the oval he'd created of himself and picked up the stylus next to him. He had to study it for a long moment before he figured out that it recorded where he pressed on it. He quickly went to work on reproducing with claw and stylus what he had chosen to study. 

"Take your time," Master Marlocke informed them. "If you are having technical difficulties, let me know, I'll help you sort them out. When you are done, press the send button, and I will review your work." 

Raki nodded absently, his attention mostly on trying to draw in two dimensions when his mind held in three. It was mostly a matter of holding his memory in a single place and time and doing his best to reproduce what was there. It was much more difficult that he expected, eventually drawing a rumble of frustration from the hatchling. 

"* _Do you need assistance?_ *" Master Marlocke asked him silently. 

"* _I can't make the picture match my memory._ *" Raki muttered and looked up at his instructor, not too sure if this was a 'technical difficulty', a failing of his own or something else. "* _It is recognizable, but not even close to accurate._ *" 

"* _Show me what you remember,_ *" Master Marlocke said easily. "* _Drawing does have its limitations, particularly when you aren't familiar with it._ *" 

Raki nodded and focused on his memory before reaching out to the human to show him. First the image he was trying to create, then the tour he'd taken with his mind, all in the perfect detail of a flawless memory. 

"* _You're doing fairly well,_ *" Master Marlocke said approvingly. "* _Send what you have; you haven't had any drawing instruction, so it is natural for it to be difficult for you._ *" 

"* _Understood, Master Marlocke._ *" Raki said gratefully and pushed the send button. 

"* _You will receive instruction that will approve your ability over time,_ *" the Jedi told him understandingly. "* _But this isn't a drawing class,_ *" he added with a mental chuckle, reviewing the work of his various students, mentally adjusting for their ability and occasionally going to double-check what they were looking at. "* _Please remain after class._ *" 

"This is very good work," he told the class. "Anybody who wishes additional instruction, remain here. The rest of you are free to continue your practice elsewhere in the Temple. Just remember that I can tell if you're not studying when you're supposed to," he warned them with a chuckle. 

"Yes, Master Marlocke." The group said in near-unison and began to file out of the room. 

"I believe you wanted to check on some of your kin?" He asked Raki after the rest of the class was gone. 

"Is that what those were, Master Marlocke?" He cocked his head slightly, still seated in the middle of the room. "Yes, I would." 

"You can come closer if you would like," the Jedi said easily. "And I believe they were. I'm not entirely certain, but I know that at least one of the focal points was Sa'as-Coruscant." 

Raki nodded and stood to move closer, easily settling next to the human instructor, his attention and gaze never leaving him even as his mind reviewed what he was sensing when class began. 

"Settle in again and find your center, find the Moment," Master Marlocke told him. "The place you were before, when you felt them calling." 

Raki nodded and slipped into the Moment first, then worked his way back with more difficulty. 

Master Marlocke watched, physically and in the Force, rather amazed at how easily this one found the Moment. There was no real skill yet, but it was a talent that would serve him well in the years to come. He felt the instant the connection was made between hatchling and kin. Those little motes were his kin, the three in the area at the time. None were asking for him directly, but the Ka-Karur were a highly social species and sought each other out. This was simply an extension of that instinct. 

"* _I see them._ *" Raki murmured, actually surprised as he realized that he was following them where they had been to where they were now. 

"* _Very good,_ *" Master Marlocke nodded. "* _Do you want to watch them, or perhaps to try and study something other than looking at a place?_ *" 

"* _I would like to learn something new, Master Marloche._ *" Raki grinned eagerly. 

"* _Well, to be polite, pull yourself back from viewing your kin. Then tell me what it is that I was doing twelve hours ago._ *" 

Raki nodded and drew back to himself. He paused, trying to figure out how best to do what he'd been asked to, and settled on starting with 'now' and following his instructor back in time, since he could have been off world that long ago. 

"* _A good way to start,_ *" Master Marlocke nodded. "* _However, there is an easier way. In the Force, time and space are no different. You don't need to follow me back; just look for that time-place._ *" 

The statement earned him a bit of a dubious look; it didn't answer how to find the target when you didn't even know for sure what world to look on, but he went back to that 'then' in a single thought-motion and focused on the Force-aura of the Master. 

It wasn't easy... mostly because the idea of tracking without a trail was an utterly foreign idea. Still, he tried, searching that time/ place for what he needed. With some work he started to get the impressions that were telling him what he needed to know. In a room... alone... serene.... 

He couldn't _see_ what the human was doing, and that was frustrating. A frustration that was focused on the hunt, to find the place his prey was and see what he needed. 

"* _Calm yourself,_ *" Master Marlocke reassured him. "* _This isn't something that's easy to do, or to understand. It probably won't be as clear as when you viewed the Ice Garden._ *" 

Raki nodded, though he wasn't aware of it, and tried to comply. For a long moment he paused his hunt, settling his mind and emotions. When he felt calm, he began again, slowly tracking the elusive 'scent' of his quarry's aura. A long series of rooms, some used and some not. One eventually stood out and he focused on moving inside it to view the human sitting cross-legged. 

"* _What are you seeing, Initiate?_ *" Master Marlocke asked, confident that he had found the time in question. 

"* _You are sitting in a room in the third tower, by yourself._ *" He offered a mental map of the Temple with the location in question marked. "* _You are very calm._ *" 

"* _I was,_ *" Master Marlocke corrected him. "* _Remember, you are looking at a point in the past. It is all the same to the Force, but not to those you might have to describe what you are seeing to. Can you put a word to what I was doing?_ *" 

"* _No, Master Marlocke._ *" 

"* _That is meditation, for me,_ *" the human explained. "* _It is a process by which a Jedi finds the Moment, finds their center, and often loses themselves in the Force for a time._ *" 

Raki nodded. Understanding would come in time. For now he simply attached the word and description to what he had sensed and drew himself back to the here and now of his body. 

"A very good start," Master Marlocke told him, standing up and helping the Raptor to his feet. "You should get something to eat, and then go rest for a while. What you did is generally very stressful the first time, physically and mentally." 

"Yes, Master Marlocke." Raki nodded as his eyes focused fully on the here and now physical world. "Thank you." He added before his legs fell out from under him with the first step, sending him sprawling on the floor with a surprised, indignant rawk. 

"And then there's still that," the blonde human smiled, helping him up again and watched as he tested his legs a little more carefully. "Will you need help to return to your quarters?" 

"I think I will be fine, Master Marlocke." Raki decided cautiously after a couple test steps. "I was distracted." 

"Go on then," he said easily. "Force be with you, Raki."


	5. Growing Hunger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even though he is eating much more than most, Raki is always hungry. It is not until his third twice-monthly visit with the Ka-Karur healer on Coruscant that they start to figure out why.

"That is all for today. You are dismissed." Knight Shalome bowed slightly to her class of twenty-three students in level 1 physics. 

"Hungry?" Tekika asked as Raki stood up from the small, short table that served as his desk so he could 'sit' by simply folding his legs under him instead of trying to deal with a chair. 

"Always." The young Ka-Karur clicked as she laughed with him. 

"You'd think they didn't feed you around here," Tekika laughed as they left with the rest of the class. "You already eat more than the rest of us combined, and now you're making it more often?" 

"You noticed me getting up to eat at night?" He asked, a bit embarrassed that he'd woken up his roommates. 

"I sleep light," she chuckled. 

"I guess so." Raki murmured as they walked. "Besides, they serve good food here." 

"True," she nodded. "Though you should know best of all of us," she added teasingly. 

"I've got a lot of catching up to do in sampling the galaxy's offerings." He almost managed not to ruin his monotone delivery with a clicking giggle as they entered the lift with some of the other students. One of them, a Fox a couple years older than they were, chuckled as he leaned back against the back wall of the lift. 

"You're gonna have to visit Alderaan sometime," he smiled. 

"Your homeworld, Kenreth?" Raki guessed. 

"Yeah," the Fox nodded. "It's a great place, really... peaceful and calm, and the food's great." 

"It really is the way it is described to tourists?" Raki perked up, his full height exceeding the Fox's by several inches. "It's not like my homeworld at all. Evidran is too alive to be peaceful. Not much variety in the food either." 

"Well, as far as I know it is," Kenreth said, standing up straight as the lift slowed. "Even the Selonians get along with everybody else, most of the time. Guess without having to worry about everything places like Coruscant have to deal with, not too much else to do but figure out how to cook things," he chuckled. 

"You two are lucky," Tekika observed as they left the lift. "I don't even remember home, really." 

"You do not miss it then." Raki told her quietly. "It is great here, but it is not as ... _alive_ ... as Evidran. I doubt any world is that has many people." 

"Not once they build all over it," Kenreth agreed. "Something about cities, I think ... almost like they choke out what should be there. So you're a little homesick too?" He asked Raki knowingly. 

"Sometimes," the Ka-Karur nodded. "I like it here, but I like Evidran and being with my own people too." 

"I know the feeling," the Fox agreed as they got in line for a meal. "Some days it's great to be here, but sometimes I almost wish my family hadn't decided to send me... or that they'd agreed sooner, like your folks did, Tekika." 

"I do not think a Ka-Karur will ever have that advantage." Raki mused. "Not unless the Jedi can figure out if they want one of us with a day or two of being laid. I knew every bit of my flock's territory and all the people there before the first month was over." 

"How'd you manage that?" Kenreth asked, looking over at Raki with a startled expression. 

"Jedi call it far seeing. As soon as enough of me formed in the egg to have some kind of consciousness, I began to reach out and explore. A perfect memory helped too. I only have to see or hear or experience something once to know it forever." 

"That's... weird," Kenreth said, rather more bluntly than he'd wanted to. "Is that normal for your people?" 

"For those that can," he nodded, not put off by the bluntness he was quite used too at this point. "Not all Ka-Karur are strong enough in the Force to manage. We are all curious though, and explore what we can when we can." 

"Most of us can't start doing things like that for years," Tekika giggled. "But Raki here's always managing things younger than anybody has a right to," she teased lightly, selecting some fruit for her plate. 

"Just because I am seven months old and taking classes for seven year olds does not mean much." Raki tried to sound indignant and failed miserably as he piled a second steak onto his plate and then added a large scoop of thick, meaty gravy to it and the mashed sweet roots next to it. 

"If that wasn't normal for your people, I'd be worried," Kenreth chuckled, taking his own meal, smaller by far than Raki's. "Eating for the day?" He asked the Ka-Karur as he added another helping of meat to his plate. 

"One of four meals, and I am still always hungry." Raki sort of shrugged. "I do not think I will eat like this as an adult." 

"As fast as he's growing, we've stopped being surprised by how much he eats," Tekika said. "I figure it's just how he gets away with being as big as he is and not even being a year old." 

"You should have seen us grow in the first six months." Raki clicked in amusement. "We weigh about ten pounds when we hatch." 

"Bet you really kept your folks running," Kenreth chuckled as they headed towards a seat. "Especially if they had to hunt for it all." 

"The whole flock hunts, but that is part of the reason only a few females breed each time. Ten or so hatchlings is an effort for a flock of thirty to feed, that flock trying to feed sixty hatchlings or more would be nearly impossible." 

"I'll bet," Kenreth said, shaking his head. "There's something to be said for supermarkets." 

"It helps keep the population under control though." Raki pointed out and dug into his meal with a relish. "Hard to over breed when the food supply keeps things in check." 

"He's got a point there," Tekika nodded. "They've got a better grasp on what Master Kella's been trying to explain for years." 

"Even after having to rebuild our population from four hundred and sixty one only seventy-nine years ago." Raki nodded. "With Jedi help with food, we did maximize our numbers for a couple decades, but it is very stressful to have a handful of adults trying to raise three times as many hatchlings. Even more so when it is five times more often than they are used to." 

"And my Mom used to complain about having to take care of twins," Kenreth chuckled as he ate. "'Course, I think it was just her back then." 

"She had no kin to help?" Raki looked over curiously. 

"We live more spread out," Kenreth explained. "She moved to Alderaan after she married Father, and the rest of her family stayed on Corellia. My Father's family helped, I'm sure, but she didn't have any hired help like she did later on." 

"How many siblings do you have?" Raki paused for a moment between bites. 

"Twin brother, a younger sister... don't think there are any more, but somebody might have been born since I came here." 

"That is not so many." Raki nodded as he finished his meal not long after the other two. "Excuse me, Kenreth. It is time for me to meditate." 

"I should get going too," the Fox nodded, standing up with his tray. "I've got a study session to attend. See the two of you around," he said. 

"See you around, Kenreth," Tekika nodded, staying to finish her meal before her next class. 

* * *

* * *

"Greetings, RakiJedi-KurraConnor." Sa'as-Coruscant dipped her head slightly in greeting to the seven and a half month old. "How are you feeling?" 

"Greetings, Sa'as-Coruscant," Raki said, dipping his own head. "I am feeling well. Hungry, but I'm used to that." 

"When did you eat last?" The crystalline feather crest on her head perked up slightly. 

"Three hours," Raki said easily. "Lunch is usually in three more hours," he explained. 

"Then let's begin the physical exam. We will see if you are eating enough at the end." She decided, already suspected that he was under-eating. "Try to hold a push-up." 

The young Ka-Karur did as he was told, his body more stable now than it had been the last time he'd done this. Still, his slender arms were weak enough and his powerful hips were not designed for this. It wasn't particularly easy to do, even more so after she started to run her hands along his body. 

"Good. Stand up now." She nodded. "Have you been taking your supplements?" 

"Yes, Sa'as-Coruscant." He nodded seriously. "One packet mixed in with first meal each day." 

"I want you to increase it by half. Your feathers are not coming in very well." 

"Yes, Sa'as-Coruscant," he nodded. "Is there something more I should do to care for them?" 

"I can tell you bathe and preen regularly. It seems to be more a lack in your diet than your care." She considered the handful of nearly adult feathers along his spine and the fluff that covered the rest of his body. "If it has not improved by next month, we will schedule a trip to Evidran for you to see if being where we evolved helps. How has your balance been? Any difficulties in class or remembering things?" 

"No, Sa'as-Coruscant," he said easily. "My memory is perfect, and my classes are not difficult so far. My balance is improving, though I still manage to trip over my feet sometimes." 

"Not unusual, though we do want to watch that. We are not sure how much of our ability is due to our diet and how much of it is growing up on Evidran and within it's Force fields." She nodded. "Now, why don't we get something to eat and you can show me how much you eat." 

"All right," he nodded, fluffing his feathers slightly. "It's this way," he explained, turning to lead the older Ka-Karur to the cafeteria. 

"How are you doing, otherwise?" She asked as they walked. 

"Well," he said easily. "It is not Evidran, but it is nice here. The gardens are a lot like home, without anything trying to eat me," he chuckled. 

"Quite true." She nodded. "You are getting along with your roommates and classmates?" 

"Quite well," Raki clicked, nodding his head. "They're all quite nice. Tanlor and I usually spend most of our free time out play-hunting." 

"That is excellent." Sa'as-Coruscant clicked in true approval as the lift transported them to the nearest cafeteria. "It is the best exercise possible for your growing body and your senses." 

"And it's fun," he grinned. "Not much to hunt, but what there is isn't easy to catch." 

"At your age, it shouldn't be." She chuckled lightly. "Perhaps after we eat, I'll show you what an adult can do." 

"Hunting butterflies?" Raki asked with a chuckle of his own for the mental image. 

"If that is what is here," she nodded with a click of amusement of her own. "Hunting is hunting, even butterflies." 

"It just seems... weird," Raki clicked as they walked into the cafeteria; the larger Ka-Karur earning many curious and surprised looks from various Initiates and better concealed looks from the Knights and Masters scattered about. 

"Just put together a normal meal." She instructed him evenly as she picked out a token meal for herself. 

"Yes, Sa'as-Coruscant," he nodded, selecting his usual rich, protein heavy meal, easily half-again larger than those being eaten by most of the Knights. 

"A suitable size," she nodded to herself. "How many times do you eat in a day?" 

"Four, Sa'as-Coruscant." 

"You are eating light then," she told him very seriously. "At your age, you should consume nearly twenty percent of your body weight a day. Eat whenever you are hungry." 

"That's quite a bit more," Raki mused, blinking as he sat down to eat. It meant doubling his number of meals, if not more. 

It did explain why he was always hungry though. 

"Yes, it is." She agreed and nibbled on her fried meat fingerlings. "As you mature, you needs, and your appetite, will decrease. As an adult, you will only need one meal that size in a day, or a suitably larger one once a week or so, assuming normal actively." 

"This size?" He asked, wanting to be clear on it. "Could this also explain the feathers?" 

"Yes, and to an extent. It likely explains your slightly smaller size than I expected." She nodded and considered him. "I still want you to increase the supplements. I will be back in two weeks to check on you. That will be long enough to see if the extra food and supplements catch you up." 

"Yes, Sa'as-Coruscant," he nodded easily, starting to eat. "I hope it does; I'll need to get up to size for some of my next classes." 

"You are already bigger than many species' adult." She chuckled. "Full grown, you will be bigger than most." 

"There's still the Drakon," Raki chuckled. "Always someone, something bigger. But they want me to be healthy for the lightsaber training." 

"You will be, even if it takes a trip back to Evidran to ensure it. We know once you are fully grown and feathered, we survive fine." 

"I hope it works out here, Sa'as-Coruscant," he said sincerely. "For others who come after me, at least." 

"We will figure it out, RakiJedi-KurraConnor." She crooned gently.


	6. Fight Fights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raki has his first lightsaber lesson.

Master Kiernan looked out over the collection of students beginning their lightsaber training in his class. The green-skinned Twi'lek had taught this class many times before, but each time usually brought something new. 

To judge by some of his students, this time wouldn't be an exception. RakiJedi-KurraConnor, Raki for short, the first Ka-Karur Initiate, had been there for about three months, and the Council had decided that it would be a good time to begin his lightsaber training. His glossy black adult plumage, razor sharp and deadly in it's own right, was only apparent along his back and tail, the rest of his body still displaying soft crystalline fluff in a range of dark hues. In a few months when his feathers made him a walking weapon, his kin would begin to train him to use his body in ways few could manage. 

He had no doubts the timing of the Council's decision had something to do with that timing. A Jedi's first weapon should be their lightsaber, not their body. In watching the youth, only 9 months old, move and settle into the middle of the group, he also was sure that the choice had not been premature. Three months ago, the Ka-Karur had rarely made it though a day without some kind of coordination issue. Now, it was clear that he had adjusted to his long legged, hundred and some pound frame and learned to use his tail as the balancer it was meant to be. 

"Everybody select a training lightsaber from the rack near the door," he informed them and watched each student carefully. A great deal could be determined by what they chose, and how they made that choice. "They are all equal in ability; simply choose one that feels right." 

Raki did something new first time students did; he closed his eyes and relaxed, letting one of the weapons call to him and used a telekinetic pull to claim it without even looking at it. 

It was a good choice; the hilt was one of the few long enough to accommodate the Ka-Karur's long, slender fingers with ease. Some of the other students did the same; others inspected and even picked up several before finally choosing one. Jorrdu, a Codru-Ji still in the armless, six-legged stage of development, took longest, looking for a light, well-balanced one that she could manipulate with the Force rather than with her forepaws or mouth. Before long, they had all chosen a blade and assembled themselves in the tight group that was normal for classes. 

"Cysion, Burrupup, you are to select only one weapon." He addressed the two students whose instincts would be to claim several. The A'merian, one for each of her three set of hands and the floating Octgorian one for each of his ten tentacle arms. "When you are more advanced you will be allowed to use more. 

"Yes, Master Kiernan." The 6 armed orange and red skinned girl with three faces around her head nodded in understanding. 

"* _Yes, Master Kiernan._ *" Burrupup acquiesced and put two of his three selections down. 

"Make sure you each have at least a solid pace between you and every student next to you," Master Kiernan warned them and watched the group, particularly the less standard body types like Raki, Jorrdu and Burrupup, spread out to give themselves and their neighbors plenty of room. "Tight quarters aren't the best ones to be learning how to do this in. You want plenty of room to move in, and the room's large enough for it." 

He watched and waited while the students finished spreading out, giving him a clear line of sight to each of them as well as giving them room to move in. 

"Find the activation switches on your lightsaber. If you can't be sure at a glance which end is the blade, hold it sideways when you ignite it," the Twi'lek explained. "If you eventually choose to learn dual-blade techniques, this will be particularly important, but for now all the available blades are of the typical sort for beginning trainees. A single blade, roughly half a meter long, taking its color from the primary crystal. Activate your lightsabers." 

It only took a moment before the ten students had their weapons activated, some more sure of themselves than others but no one surprised by the energy blade that flared to life in their hands. 

"The blades most of you are using are roughly half the size of a standard lightsaber," he explained, igniting his own green blade. "Those of you with smaller builds, or who choose to use a two-saber technique, will likely train with blades no larger than the ones you are using now for most of your careers. Take your lightsabers in two hands, if you are capable of doing so, and raise them into a ready stance." He demonstrated himself, raising his blade in front of his face, a position that could be used defensively or offensively. "Take note of how it feels, particularly moving the blade. What is the first thing you notice?" 

"They are _bright_." Raki answered, almost surprised by it; one of the two Siamese twins in the back about to snicker at the comment before Master Kiernan silenced him with a mental warning. 

"It has no perceptible weight, Masrer." Cysion, the female A'merian answered with her dominant, forward-facing face. 

"Very good, Cysion," the Twi'lek agreed. "And you are right as well, Raki, though you see more than the rest do. The energy flows in a lightsaber, even a training model, are rather unique. 

"As for the point Cysion raised, that is the primary reason the lightsaber is as dangerous, and effective, as it is. To the observer, it is the power of the blade to carve through blast-grade steel. To the trained wielder, it is the ability of the blade to be moved in any direction without concern for momentum. But in the hands of those without sufficient training, it is possible to harm yourself. Who can tell me how you would know where the blade is with your eyes closed?" 

"You can feel it in the Force, or by knowing how you are holding it, Master Kiernan." Raki offered up, delighted by a class that asked him questions and had him thinking. 

"Both proper methods, Raki, very good," Kiernan nodded. "Particularly sensing it in the Force. Knowing how your are handling your blade is crucial, but in the heat of combat it isn't always easy. I don't think I need to tell anyone why losing track of the blade of your lightsaber in a fight is potentially disastrous. 

"This is also the primary reason we train most Jedi to wield their blades two-handed," he continued, "the way you are learning now. Two hands gives you two points of control, and two points that can stop a potentially lethal mistake. For our first few lessons, you will simply be practicing how to move your lightsabers properly. Actual combat techniques will come later. Remain conscious of your actions, and draw a simple triangle in front of you," he told them, indicating the motions he wanted with his green blade, watching them for any difficulty. 

Cysion, Raki and Burrupup, all three with a superior sense of space, had no difficulty. Jorrdu was very slow about it, but accurate. Her telekinetic control was good and with a little practice she would be fine. 

"Close, but you need to extend the base, Chado." He told the tri-colored Wolf. 

"Yes, Master." He nodded and tried again. 

"A bit taller, Rys," he told the Siamese in the back, the male nodded and started over, replicating it this time. "Very good, all of you. Now, understand this. The lightsaber is a weapon, first and foremost. As such, save in training or a duel, you should never ignite your weapon unless you are prepared to use it in battle. Throughout your careers, you will see many Jedi do otherwise, but until you are aware of the situations in which this is the proper action, you should not follow their example." 

"Understood, Master." The class nodded in acceptance of the rule. 

"For the rest of the lesson, questions will be mixed with practice," he explained. "Mirror what I do with my lightsaber while you answer. Who can think of a non-combat situation where you'd want to use your lightsaber?" He asked them, drawing a simple circle in the air with his green blade. 

"To cauterize a wound when you have no medical supplies or fire?" Burrupup offered, his fluidic stone and metallic skin glittering in the light as he moved his long tentacle arms. 

"To cut through a barrier when other methods have failed." Tekika suggested, her focus mostly on what she was doing, rather than what she was saying. 

"In a display of skill, Master Kiernan." Raki added, utterly fascinated by his lightsaber's blade and its movements as he duplicated what the Twi'lek did. 

"When all other methods have failed, Tekika, you would be right. However, there are often a surprising number of ways to get around a barrier that don't involve going straight through it. Can anybody offer up other alternatives to a lightsaber for the other reasons that were given?" 

He wasn't too surprised when nobody seemed to be coming up with an answer; it wasn't at all uncommon for fairly recent Initiates, most of who did not have a good understanding of the range of things the Force could do. 

"While a lightsaber can be used to cauterize a wound, the Force is a better means of healing," he explained, signaling for a square once everybody had managed the circle. "With a lightsaber, it is possible to slip and inflict a more grievous wound; this is not possible with the Force. Raki, could you clarify your response? Why would you want to use a lightsaber in a display of skill?" 

"A lightsaber is very important to a Jedi, and our primary weapon, Master Kiernan." He began very seriously while creating the more difficult square. "As such, wielding it is an important skill for a Jedi. Such skills are to be displayed when making your presentation to the breeding females so they can select the best sires for their eggs. As a strong sensitive and our first Jedi, I will be expected to attend several mating rites in my lifetime as missions allow." 

Master Kiernan had trained several years worth of Initiates before, even seen some of his trainees go on to become leading duelists among the Padawans ... even the very young Knights. He had heard Raki's initial suggestion several times before, and honestly thought he'd heard every response an Initiate would make to his request for a reason. 

The young Ka-Karur had just proven him quite wrong, and Kiernan was afraid that it showed as he stopped in the middle of repeating the square to make sure that they could match the size. 

"That ... is a different reason than I usually hear," he admitted. 

"I understand, Master Kiernan." Raki acknowledged simply, unperturbed by his teacher's surprise. "I have been told that our system is fairly unusual." 

"It ... seems to be," Master Kiernan agreed, suspecting that Raki knew about it mostly on an academic level at this point. "However, a display of skill in a controlled situation, where the point is to display one's skill with a lightsaber, is another acceptable situation, and is similar to a duel. Beyond those situations, why would you want to display your skill? Anybody?" 

Mys and Rys, the pairbonded twin Siamese Cats in back, glanced at each other before Mys spoke. 

"To stop a fight before it starts?" She said a bit uncertainly. 

"That is a more common reason," Kiernan nodded, making a mark of three intersecting lines. "Many young Jedi believe that flashing their lightsaber is a good way to make people listen to them, whether it be to stop a fight or get them to cooperate. Who can tell me the problem with this?" 

"Because we should only ignite our lightsaber when we expect to use it in battle." Raki repeated the instructor's instructions, taking a lesson from his earlier classes and choosing his own words for it. 

"A weapon is a poor choice of methods to bring peace." Wiliran piped up, the Von's peaceful racial heritage showing strong even at her young age. "Once it is drawn, the stakes go up and violence is more likely, not less likely." 

"Very good, both of you," Master Kiernan nodded. "Wiliran is particularly correct. Further, the people of the Republic respect the Jedi as forces for justice and the Republic's law. If we resort to violence, or threats of it, to solve all our problems, we will lose the respect of the people." 

The class nodded and made a general indication of acceptance and at least partial understanding. 

"That will be enough for today," Master Kiernan decided. "From now on, when you are igniting or extinguishing your lightsaber outside of battle, you should hold it off to the side of your dominant limb, the right if you have more than one," he said, demonstrating by bringing his own down to the begin/cease stance for a duel. "However, if you have a practice opponent or teacher with you, wait to actually extinguish it until you are told. Find the stance," he instructed them, keeping an eye on Jorrdu, Cysion, Burrupup, and Raki to see if their non-standard humanoid bodies would give them any trouble and was pleased that they all had enough orientation to follow the instructions. 

"Good. Extinguish your lightsabers." He ordered and did so himself. They followed suit, and he holstered his hilt. 

"For now, return your 'sabers to the storage racks," he told them. "Once we have progressed a bit further, you will be allowed to keep a personal trainer, but that's a few days off." 

"Understood, Master Kiernan." The group bowed to him and went to put their weapons where they had found them. 

"You may leave. Mys, Rys, please stay for a moment." 

The two Siamese looked at each other, but nodded as the rest of the class filed out. 

"I think you surprised Master Kiernan," Wilira giggled to Raki once they were out. 

"Yeah, he actually _froze_." Tekika added with a chirping snicker. "Bet that doesn't happen often." 

"I just told the truth." Raki objected. 

"We know," Wilira whistled. "But people don't expect things like that around here, and they haven't had a few months to get to know you yet." 

"I think I'd like to though." T'andar piped up, encouraged by the much larger predator's demure reaction. 

"Join us for a meal?" Raki was happy for the change of topic. 

"Sure," the Chadra-Fan whistled cheerfully. "Main cafeteria?" He asked. 

"Sounds good to me." Raki nodded and the group shifted their direction to head for the cafeteria. "You are a Chadra-Fan?" 

"Yes," T'andar nodded easily. "Not many of us here, but that's part of the fun, isn't it?" He said with a grin. 

"It's certainly different." Raki nodded, not completely sure what to say about the idea that being away from his kind was 'fun'. 

"So, how do you like it here?" T'andar asked as got on the lift, starting for the cafeteria. 

"I like it. There is a lot to do, a lot to see and experience and the flock on Coruscant comes to visit often. Class was a _rush_." Raki perked up seriously, his full and fluff feathers glittering as he fluffed them up. 

"Wasn't it?" T'andar grinned, his broad ears flicking about. "It'll be incredible when we start _really_ training. I just hope I can keep up with everybody else." 

"You seem to have the agility and focus to do fine." Raki pointed out. "I did get to watch you in class." 

"Yeah, but when you guys upgrade to regular sized 'sabers, T'andar and I will be sticking with the shorter models," Wilira pointed out. "Definitely need two hands just now." 

"But you should be able to keep up with us for _now_ at least," Tekika pointed out. 

"Yeah," T'andar agreed. "Just a little worried about what'll happen when I have to duel somebody with one of the bigger ones." 

"Do you really think you won't be trained to do just that?" Raki looked between the two of them in near-disbelief. "Vor and Chadra-Fan are both known races. You are not the only smaller races here either." 

"When you're looking up at everybody else, knowing that what they'll be swinging at you is taller than you are _is_ a little intimidating," T'andar pointed out. 

"Don't worry about it too much," Wilira said easily. "We'll keep up - besides, it's easier to duck from our level." 

"And you can hit in ways that are much harder to block." Raki added. "You could run right between the legs of an adult Ka-Karur." 

"True," T'andar said, shrugging slightly. "Doesn't matter too much now; we'll see what develops. For now, there's dinner, and time to talk about things that have happened, instead of will." 

"Yeah, they're serving eboyachie today." Tekika clapped her hands excitedly as Raki clicked indulgently at her excitement over the roasted insect dish. "What a day this is." 

"Yeah; lightsaber lessons, good food, and meeting new friends," T'andar agreed cheerfully. "Definitely one of the better ones!" 

As the Initiates walked into the cafeteria, going to select their meals, they didn't go unnoticed. 

"Well, it seems the new Initiates are settling in nicely," Master Bral observed, the Gecko taking a bite of his lunch as he sat with one of his colleagues. 

"Indeed," the Panther next to him nodded, her eyes wandering from the foursome that had just come in to the slightly older Panther tom. "Good looking group too." 

"Agreed," he nodded. "Strong, capable ... I suspect the Ka-Karur student will prove to be quite adept, from what I've heard already." 

"It will be interesting to hear what Master Kiernan says about him." Master Nattika nodded. "Do you think the Council has plans for his Master already?" 

"They may," He admitted. "But I doubt they do this young... it would be exceedingly unusual if they did, at any rate." 

"He is the first of his race," she reminded him. "They tend to be a little more careful with those, especially with his people are paying such close attention. Mess this one up, and we may never get another Ka-Karur Initiate." 

"That is a concern, but do you ever remember the Council planning on a Master for a student as young as he is?" The Gecko pointed out. "Either way, I must admit to being intrigued. He is unique, after all, at least for the time being." 

"And with it taking eighty years for him to arrive, he may be for some time." She smiled faintly at her friend. "You always did have a soft spot for the unusual." 

"Like attracts like," the Gecko chuckled, blinking his bulbous eyes. "There aren't exactly many of my kind here either. Though from what I remember of Master B'lyn's reports, it may be that we'll see another in far less time than it took for the first to arrive." 

"That would be good." Master Nattika nodded. "I recall them being very social from the reports. However the ages work out, I expect it would be good for him to have another Jedi of his kind." 

"Yes. Even with the Ka-Karur on Coruscant, it won't be easy for him," Master Bral mused. "Of course, if another _does_ arrive while he's still in training, it would only make sense to search for partnered Masters for the both of them." 

"And expect them to be partnered when they're knighted." She chuckled to herself. "Good thing you work well with others. He'll be a Padawan before another comes in, most likely." 

"Quite possibly," Master Bral agreed with a chuckle. "And also a good thing that I'm not addicted to field work, like some of us are." 

"I think that would take you out of the running right there. So what's your take on that Panther?" She nodded towards the youth she'd been looking at before. 

He paused, considering him, cocking his head slightly as he weighed what he could see. 

"It isn't my place to predict what will come, but I don't think he's going to work out," the Gecko said softly, making sure that he couldn't be heard beyond the table he was at. "I could be wrong though; Force knows it's happened often enough before." 

Nattika nodded in acceptance and cast her gaze about again, but found little as interesting to her in the room. Five decades had taught her well to trust his reading of the Force, and especially of people, regardless of his disclaimer. 

"I think he's looking at you." She nudged Bral's mind towards Raki. 

The Gecko looked back at Raki, smiled and nodded his head towards the Ka-Karur, who went back to eating after a moment. 

"I know that look," he chuckled. "He's 'looking' at us looking at him. He sees, but doesn't understand what he's seeing." 

"Not yet anyway," Nattika added. "Hard to believe he's only nine months old." 

"Moreso for a mammal, but his people do mature quickly," Master Bral chuckled. "I suspect he'll surprise many of his teachers over the next few years." 

"Most interesting ones do." She smiled slightly and took a bite of her steak. "Especially with that eidetic memory, though with the gap in his age compared to his physical maturity, it's probably what is allowing him to catch up on academics so well." 

"I don't doubt it," he agreed. "A good amount of rote learning he'll have to pick up faster than normal." 

"You know you are going to be in the spotlight of _everybody_ if he's your Padawan." 

"I think I could handle it," Bral chuckled. "Though it's a fairly moot point for some time yet. Even as fast as he ages, it won't be less than five or six years before he's ready." 

"About the same time as his roommates," Nattika mused. "I doubt by chance, either." 

"Easier to keep them together. And it doesn't hurt that they won't get so curious as to cut themselves, as his feathers get harder." 

"Quite true." Nattika nodded. 

"Ready to see some of the older Initiates?" Bral suggested. 

"I believe so," she nodded easily and stood with her tray. "Not that you haven't already chosen." 

"It never hurts to have backup plans," the Gecko chuckled as they left the cafeteria.


End file.
